On Thursday, June 25, 2026, the Bèmbèrèkè Military Training Centre hosted a solemn ceremony. Nearly 900 recruits from the Republican Police and the Water and Forest Corps officially joined the ranks.

Before an assembly of high-ranking officials, emotional parents and relatives, the 895 recruits from the 2024 and 2025 classes of the Water, Forests and Hunting Corps, as well as the 2025 class of the Republican Police, were presented to the national flag.

This landmark event officially marks the end of their basic joint training and seals their sacred commitment to serving republican security and protecting the nation’s environmental heritage.

Presided over by the ministers of Interior and Public Security, and National Defence, the celebration brought together the country’s top security hierarchy, including the Chief of General Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces and the Director General of the Republican Police.

In his welcome address, the centre’s commander, Lieutenant-Colonel Armand Assogbaga, highlighted the deeply symbolic significance of this ritual, which marks a definitive break from civilian life. He reminded the new recruits that the presentation to the flag is not mere formality but demands iron discipline, unwavering courage, and absolute loyalty to the homeland.

The highlight of the day remained the official presentation of the national flag, a solemn act marking the formal entry of these young men and women into the great family of defence and security forces. This powerful moment was immediately followed by the ceremony of awarding the fourragère. This military decoration rewards months of intense physical and tactical effort, thus materialising their new status as guardians of the law and shields against current environmental and security threats.