Chief of the Defence Staff (Benin)

The chief of the defence staff (French: Chef d'etat major général des armées) is the highest-ranking military officer in the Benin Armed Forces and is responsible for maintaining control over the service branches.

Chief of the Defence Staff
Chef d'etat major général des armées (French)
Incumbent Brigadier general Fructueux Gbaguidi since 12 April 2022
Benin Armed Forces
Reports to	Minister of National Defence
Appointer	The president
Formation	1960
First holder	Christophe Soglo
Deputy	Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff

List of officeholders

No.	Portrait	Name (Birth–Death)	Term of office			Defence branch	Ref.
			Took office	Left office	Time in office
		Major general Fernand Amoussou [fr] (born 1955)	2000	17 August 2005	4–5 years	Army
		Major general Mathieu Amoussa Chabi Boni (born 1956)	17 August 2005	28 March 2012	6 years, 224 days	Army	[1]
		Major general Soumanou Oke (born 1955)	28 March 2012	30 June 2012	94 days	Army	[2]
		Brigadier general Emmanuel Joseph Akpona (born 1957)	30 June 2012	28 January 2013	212 days	Army	[3]
		Counter admiral Denis Hounsou Gbèssèmèhlan	28 January 2013	30 December 2015	2 years, 336 days	Navy	[4]
		Brigadier general Awal Djibril Bouko Nagnimi	30 December 2015	16 September 2016	261 days	Army	[5]
		Brigadier general Laurent Amoussou	16 September 2016	14 November 2018	2 years, 59 days	Army	[6]
		Counter admiral Patrick Jean Baptiste Aho (born 1960)	14 November 2018	12 April 2022	3 years, 149 days	Navy	[7]
		Brigadier general Fructueux Candide Ahodegnon Gbaguidi	12 April 2022	Incumbent	3 years, 193 days	Army	[8]