After 43 years of service, Army General Bertin Bada has officially left the ranks of the Beninese armed forces. A solemn ceremony was held on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at the Cotonou Air Base to mark the occasion. Military honours, a flag salute, and a troop review punctuated the farewell of the army’s highest-ranking officer.
The event took place in the presence of the Chief of the General Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces, General Fructueux Gbaguidi, and the Minister Delegate for National Defence, Gildas Agonkan. Both praised a career defined by discipline and commitment.
Promoted to five-star general on February 9, 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.
Now 63 years old, General Bada leaves the military institution after a dense career that was also marked by a personal ordeal. During the attempted coup d’état on December 7, 2025, he lost his wife.
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