895 new recruits officially join Bénin’s republican police and forestry corps

The military training centre in Bèmbèrèkè was filled with solemn ceremony on Thursday, 25 June 2026. Nearly 900 recruits from the Republican Police and the Water and Forestry Corps officially joined the ranks.

Before a gathering of high-ranking officials, emotional parents and relatives, the 895 recruits from the 2024 and 2025 cohorts of the Water, Forests and Hunting Corps, as well as the 2025 class of the Republican Police, were presented to the national flag.

This significant event marks the official end of their shared basic training and seals their sacred commitment to serving the republic’s security and protecting the nation’s environmental heritage.

Chaired by the ministers responsible for Interior and Public Security as well as National Defence, the celebration gathered the country’s top security hierarchy, notably 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 importance of this ritual, which marks a definitive break from civilian life. He reminded the new officers that the flag presentation is not mere 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 that marks the official entry of these young men and women into the large family of defence and security forces. This powerful moment was immediately followed by the ritual awarding of the fourragère. This military decoration rewards months of intense physical and tactical efforts, symbolising their new status as guardians of the law and shields against current environmental and security threats.