After 43 years of service, air force General Bertin Bada has formally left the ranks of the Bénin armed forces.
A formal ceremony took place on Tuesday, 30 June 2026, at the Cotonou Air Base to mark the event. Military honours, flag salutes, and troop reviews highlighted the farewell of the highest-ranking officer in the army.
The ceremony was held in the presence of the chief of defence staff of the Bénin Armed Forces, General Fructueux Gbaguidi, and the Deputy Minister for National Defence, Gildas Agonkan. Both praised a career defined by discipline and dedication.
Promoted to five-star general on 9 February 2026, Bertin Bada was subsequently appointed defence and security advisor to President Romuald Wadagni. He also served as director of the military cabinet under former President Patrice Talon.
At 63 years old, General Bada leaves the military institution after an intense career, marked also by a personal ordeal during the attempted coup of 7 December 2025, in which he lost his wife.
