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. Some observers believe the prime minister was the intended target of the grenade attack, but he was not harmed. After taking office in April, Abiy gained public support with promises of reform to promote national unity after years of hardline rule. According to a 2017 estimate by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, the population is about 102.4 million.

Source: Ethiopian News December 24, 2018 18:39 UTC