Operation Mirador: Beninese Army Honors Its Soldiers, a Message of Firmness Against the Threat

At Camp Séro Kpéra in Parakou last Friday, about twenty officers involved in Operation Mirador received the National Defense Medal, Silver level. General Fructueux Gbaguidi, Chief of Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces, took advantage of this ceremony to reaffirm the country’s determination in the face of the terrorist threat.
A solemn ceremony was held at Camp Séro Kpéra in Parakou last Friday, March 28, where about twenty officers, mainly involved in Operation Mirador, were decorated with the National Defense Medal, Silver level.
“I would like to renew my confidence and that of the Beninese people, who believe in their army,” said General Fructueux Gbaguidi, Chief of Staff of the Beninese Armed Forces, addressing the decorated officers and all the forces involved in the operation.
The general’s message is unequivocal: “Operation Mirador will not weaken and will continue to allow [Beninese] to go about their business in complete serenity.” He particularly praised the chain of command, which “daily seeks ways and means to better deal with terrorists.”
Faced with the threats, the Chief of Staff emphatically stated that “not one square centimeter of our territory will be ceded to the enemy,” assuring that “these are not empty words.” A statement that resonates as a solemn commitment to the nation.
The general described this decoration as “the fruit of a demanding and carefully considered process,” recognizing the fundamental values embodied by these soldiers: “honor, loyalty, and sacrifice.”
“If you are honored today, it is because you have been able to be present where many doubt,” General Gbaguidi emphasized, while recalling the importance of their mission.
To conclude his speech on an optimistic note, the Chief of Staff affirmed: “We will win because not only is our cause just, but it faces the negation of excellence. Lies will never prevail over truth.”
The recipients expressed their gratitude for this national recognition, which celebrates both individual efforts and the spirit of camaraderie and solidarity within the Beninese Armed Forces.