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

After 43 years of service, air force general Bertin Bada has officially stepped down from the Beninese armed forces.

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

The event was attended by the chief of general staff of the Beninese armed forces, General Fructueux Gbaguidi, and the delegate minister for national defence, Gildas Agonkan. Both praised a career defined by rigour and dedication.

Bertin Bada was elevated to five-star general on 9 February 2026 and subsequently appointed defence and security adviser to President Romuald Wadagni. He also served as head of the military cabinet under former President Patrice Talon.

Aged 63, General Bada leaves the military institution after a dense career, also marked by a personal ordeal during the attempted coup of 7 December 2025, in which he lost his wife.