A historic promotion, symbolizing an army in full transformation. The year 2025 ends with a major milestone in the military and institutional history of Côte d’Ivoire. By Presidential Decree No. 2025-1004, issued on Wednesday, December 31, 2025, the President of the Republic and Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, Alassane Ouattara, elevated General of the Army Corps Lassina Doumbia, Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces, to the rank of Army General, the highest rank in the military hierarchy.
With this decision, General Lassina Doumbia becomes the first Army General of the Ivorian Armed Forces (FACI), cementing his name indelibly in the history of the national military institution.
This exceptional promotion honors an exemplary career built on discipline, professionalism, republican loyalty, and a constant commitment to serving the nation. It also reflects the highest recognition from the state of the strategic role played by the Ivorian Armed Forces in consolidating peace, preserving constitutional order, and defending territorial integrity.
Under General Lassina Doumbia’s leadership, the FACI has undergone a profound transformation, marked by significant structural, organizational, and capacity-building reforms. These reforms have strengthened operational capabilities, improved interoperability, and modernized defense tools in an increasingly demanding regional security context.
Beyond the promotion of an individual, this distinction celebrates a vision of leadership grounded in rigor, exemplary conduct, and a high sense of duty. General Lassina Doumbia has established himself as a respected military leader, attentive to his troops and deeply committed to republican values.
Through this decision, the Ivorian nation pays tribute to a senior officer whose enlightened leadership and strategic foresight have decisively contributed to strengthening national security and ensuring the country’s lasting stability.
The elevation of the Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces to the rank of Army General marks a foundational step in the evolution of the Ivorian Armed Forces. It reflects the authorities’ determination to build a modern, professional, credible, and respected army capable of facing contemporary and future security challenges.
At the close of 2025, this solemn act stands as a strong signal of institutional recognition and as a source of motivation for all military personnel, called to continue their mission in service of peace, security, and national sovereignty.
With this historic promotion, Côte d’Ivoire turns an important page in its military history and opens a new chapter defined by excellence, responsibility, and republican commitment.