Bénin: general Bertin Bada officially retires after 43 years of service

After 43 years of service, air force general Bertin Bada has formally left the ranks of the Bénin armed forces.

A solemn ceremony took place on Tuesday, 30 June 2026 at the Cotonou Air Base to mark this event. Military honours, a salute to the flag, and a troop review punctuated the farewell of the highest-ranking officer in the army.

The ceremony was attended by the Chief of the General Staff of the Bénin Armed Forces, General Fructueux Gbaguidi, and the Deputy Minister for National Defence, Gildas Agonkan. Both paid tribute to a career defined by rigour and commitment.

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 a dense career, also marked by a personal ordeal during the attempted coup d’état of 7 December 2025, in which he lost his wife.