The military training centre in Bèmbèrèkè hosted a solemn ceremony on Thursday, 25 June 2026, as nearly 900 new recruits from the Republican Police and the Water, Forests and Hunting Corps officially joined the ranks.
Before an audience of senior officials, moved family members and friends, the 895 recruits — drawn from the 2024 and 2025 intakes of the Water, Forests and Hunting Corps and the 2025 intake of the Republican Police — were presented to the national flag.
This important event marks the official conclusion of their shared basic training and seals their solemn commitment to serving the republic’s security and safeguarding the nation’s environmental heritage.
Chaired by the ministers in charge of Interior and Public Security as well as National Defence, the ceremony brought together the country’s top security brass, including the Chief of General Staff of the Bénin 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 agents that the flag presentation is not merely a 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 signifying the formal entry of these young men and women into the wider family of defence and security forces. This powerful moment was immediately followed by the traditional award of the fourragère. This military distinction rewards months of intense physical and tactical effort, embodying their new status as guardians of the law and shields against current environmental and security threats.
