With nearly four decades of military service and extensive command experience within the Army, General Abou Issa takes charge of the Beninese Armed Forces on Friday, November 6, 2026.
Among the primary challenges facing his new command is the fight against the terrorist threat in the north of the country.
Appointed Chief of the General Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces by the Council of Ministers on November 4, this officer – who hails from the Materiel Corps – is regarded as a key figure in the battle against terrorism in Benin. His tenure at the helm of the Army, which he led from 2022 to 2026, placed him at the heart of issues concerning national defence and territorial security.
Prior to this appointment, General Abou Issa had already held several strategic positions within the military hierarchy, the General Staff of the Armed Forces reported on Friday. Notably, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff of the Army from 2016 to 2021 and as Chief of Staff of the National Guard in 2021.
His career also includes roles within the Military Office of the President of the Republic, where he served as Deputy Director from 2014 to 2015, and subsequently as Director from 2015 to 2016.
Prior to this, he held the position of Head of the Land Division within the same office from 2012 to 2014.
This institutional and operational experience was developed through various assignments, including commanding the Bembereke Military Academy from 2007 to 2012, the Republican Guard in 2006, and the 1st Materiel Battalion between 2001 and 2006.
A former student of the Prytanee militaire in Saint-Louis, Senegal, General Abou Issa also received military training in several other countries.
He earned a qualification as a section commander at the Antsirabe Military Academy in Madagascar in 1990, and later obtained a staff officer diploma from the National Higher School of the Armed Forces in Porto-Novo in 2007.
In 2012, he completed a program at the Military Academy in Beijing, China, earning a diploma from the war college.
His service record has earned him several national and international distinctions. He was notably appointed a Knight of the National Order of Benin in 2012, a Commander in 2016, and a Grand Officer in 2021.
In March 2025, he was awarded the Gold-level Defence Medal.
Internationally, he also holds the French Gold Defence Medal (awarded in 2004), the Silver Defence Medal from the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (received in 2012), and was named a Knight of the French National Order of Merit in 2020.
Northern Benin is facing a deteriorating security situation, marked by incursions and attacks from armed terrorist groups – most notably the JNIM – operating in the border region with Burkina Faso and Niger.
AC/fss/gik/APA