The Defence Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General René Claude Meka is expected to preside at the parade practice session today.

After parade rehearsals in different parts of the capital city, Yaounde,  defence forces  that are made up of  the National Gendarmerie, Army, Navy and Airforce will converge on the 20th May Avenue in down town Yaounde today, May 17, 2018 for general rehearsals in preparation for the 46th National Day celebrations on May 20, 2018.

They will be joined on the ceremonial ground for the National Day parade practice session by the Presidential Guard, Police, Penitentiary Administration, Customs and Ex-Servicemen.

The programme for the day as communicated in the Ministry of Defence indicate that the Defence Chief of Staff, Lieutenant General René Claude Meka will chair the parade practice session. This will essentially concern foot soldiers. In preparation for today’s practice session, commanders of the various blocks of each of the defence and security corps were present at the 20th May Avenue on May 16, 2018.

They used the occasion to discover the positions they will occupy during the practice session. They also started practising with the intention of accustoming themselves to the venue  and to make sure that they avoid mistakes during the practice session.

The Military Band with a special block that will present messages in front of the Head of State, Paul Biya and his guests during the 46th edition of National Day celebrations in Yaounde also took off time to perfect their performance.

Their messages certainly tie with the celebration theme, “Cameroonian citizens, let us remain united in diversity and preserve social peace, for a stable, indivisible and prosperous Cameroon.”

The ceremonial ground of both the military parade and civil march past in Yaounde, the 20th May Boulevard is being prepared for the special event. Staff of the Military Engineering Corps accelerated work in the ground stands and by mid-day on May 16, 2018, a red carpet had already covered the entire presidential grandstand.

The lighting system was also being verified and a new coat of paint put. There was general  cleaning of the ceremonial ground, getting it set for the event.