[VIDEO] Ethiopian elite ‘Republican Guard Show’ force to protect top officials

An elite force has been created in Ethiopia responsible for protecting officials including Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, after a deadly blast while he addressed a crowd in June, Fana radio said Sunday.

Troops in the new Republican Guard unit began training six months ago for “protecting higher government officials and their family, from any form of aggression by ill-intentioned forces,” Fana announced on its website.

The formation of the specialised unit followed the explosion of a hand grenade in the middle of a huge crowd of people who had gathered in the capital Addis Ababa to hear Abiy speak on June 23. Two people were killed and scores injured.

Some observers believe the prime minister was the intended target of the grenade attack, but he was not harmed.