On July 11, 2025, Joseph Beti Assomo, Minister Delegate to the Presidency in charge of Defense, sharply condemned the surge in official ceremonies where some ministers and senior officials receive military honors outside the rules. He called these acts “fantastical” and “illegal.” He warned that this misuse harms the reputation of republican institutions and makes the government look inconsistent and trivial.
This warning follows several viral videos on social media showing government members greeted with grand military honors during regional visits—sometimes using the same protocols reserved for the Head of State. The minister said these staged displays caused “public astonishment” and worried about their damage to the image of republican discipline.
Joseph Beti Assomo stressed that only specific senior officials, explicitly appointed by the President to represent him, can receive military honors. These honors must strictly follow existing regulations, including the July 7, 2007 decree on defense forces discipline and the September 16, 1976 decree on protocol, precedence, and honors.
He added that the military office in charge must issue official correspondence detailing the protocol for each state representative’s status before any honors are granted.
According to these rules, only the President, members of the National Assembly bureau during official travel, and members of the Supreme Court or High Council of the Judiciary on specific missions can receive military honors by right. Any other cases must be rare, properly regulated, and justified.
By ignoring these rules, some officials deliberately break protocol. The Defense Minister said this behavior threatens the state’s credibility by cheapening symbols of authority. His strong message aims to restore order and stop the state protocol from becoming a theatrical spectacle that risks losing all legitimacy.
Frédéric Nonos