A solemn ceremony took place on Tuesday, June 30, 2026, at the Cotonou air base to mark the retirement of air force general Bertin Bada. Military honors, 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 staff of the Bénin armed forces, general Fructueux Gbaguidi, and the minister delegate for national defense, Gildas Agonkan. Both praised a career defined by rigor and commitment.
Elevated to the rank of five-star general on February 9, 2026, Bertin Bada was subsequently appointed defense 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 army after a dense career, also marked by a personal ordeal during the attempted coup d’état of December 7, 2025, in which he lost his wife.
