| Republican Guard of Albania | |
|---|---|
| Garda e Republikës | |
 Coat of arms of the Republican Guard of Albania | |
| Active | 1928–1939 1945–present |
| Country |  Albania |
| Allegiance | Albanian Police;Albanian Armed Forces |
| Branch | Independent |
| Type | Republican guard |
| Role |
|
| Size | 700 |
| Headquarters | Tirana |
| March | Marsh Mirësevini (Inspection March) |
| Anniversaries | June 24 |
| Website | Official website |
| Commanders | |
| General director | Simon Zereci (acting)[1] |
| Insignia | |
| Flag |  |
TheRepublican Guard (Albanian:Garda e Republikës) is a paramilitarygovernment agency of Albania mandated by law to protect high-ranking state officials, including thePresident of Albania, as well as certain national properties, high-ranking foreign visitors and diplomatic offices. It is mostly subordinate to theMinistry of Internal Affairs, except that the unit responsible for the president's security being under the authority of the president.[2]
The Guard was established on 24 June 1928 as part of theAlbanian Armed Forces. By order of the Minister of the Interior date 15.06.2025 Senior Director Simon Zereci is appointed for the exercise of powers and duties of the General Director of the Guard of the Republic of Albania.[1]
TheRepublican Guard was established in the late 1920s when PresidentAhmet Zogu (laterKing Zog I) demanded the reorganization of theAlbanian Armed Forces and the creation of a special unit, separated from the Militias andGendarmerie, whose main duty would be to protect the highest state personalities and the important buildings (such as Institutions; Banks; personalities houses; etc.). The creation of the Guard was decreed on 24 June 1928. Its secondary responsibility waspublic duties inTirana, the national capital.
On 1 September 1928, Albania was transformed into a kingdom, and President Zogu became Zog I,King of the Albanians. The Guard changed the name to "Royal Guard of Albania", but the duties in most of them remain the same. Hysen Selmani was appointed its first commandant.[3][4][5]
In November 1929, the law"On the Organization of Armed Forces" was promulgated, which changed the structure of the unit. The structure of the Guard subsequently consisted of:
After theWorld War II, the Guard would be namedSpecial Battalion of the General Staff, being a structure within thePeople's Defense Division (DMP).
In February 1947, the department was renamed theRepublican Guard Department. By the end of the 1940s, the Guard began to recruit servicemen through theconscription service; until then it consisted of ex-Partisans of theAlbanian National Liberation Army(UNÇSH). In 1951, the Guard became part of theMinistry of Internal Affairs, which charged the battalion with the function of preserving and securing the high-ranking state officials and important members of thecommunist party, including their residential areas inIsh-Blloku.[6] During these years until November 1968, the Guard was strengthened and modernized, following which the guard battalion numbered around 600 personnel of all ranks.
After theSoviet-Albanian split and theWarsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia in 1968, the Guard underwent a structural and quantitative change. It was increased from 1 to 3 battalions. In addition, there were 4 battalions of reservists, a central Command and permanent staff with officers. Also, theArtillery Command was created.
In 1976, with the adoption of the new Constitution, the name of the Guard changed to theRepublican Guard Regiment of the Socialist Republic of Albania.[3]
Its organization included:
On 4 February 1984 thePresidium of the People's Assembly awarded the"Order of the National Flag" to the Republican Guard Regiment.[3]
On 9 September 1992, theAlbanian Parliament adopted the law "On the Republican Guard", which stipulated that the guard, which at the time was named theSpecialized Military Unit, would be the official military guard of honour for the state. In 1993, based on the June 1928 decree of the Guard's creation, the Republican Guard was recreated in its original form. In appreciation for the unit's participation in theAlbanian unrest of 1997, the Republican Guard was decorated with theGolden Medal of the Eagle (“Medalja e Artë e Shqiponjës”) on itsdiamond jubilee in 1998.[3] In January 2011, six members of the guard were arrested over the deaths of four civilian protesters in anopposition demonstration outside Prime MinisterSali Berisha's office.[7][8] Three of them were later released by the general prosecutor.[9]
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TheRepublican Guard Battalion of Albania is a structure of special status in theMinistry of Internal Affairs, whose mission is to providephysical security to thePresident;Prime Minister;Chairman of the Parliament and other high state personalities defined in the No. 8869, dated 22 May 2003"For the Guard of the Republic of Albania". Another of the guard duties it is also the protection of the high importance buildings, such asParliament;Presidential Office and other buildings defined in the same law.[10][11][12]
The guard missions are:
It often cooperates with theAlbanian Armed Forces Band in completing these tasks.
The currentfull dress uniform consists of a redtunic anddress pants, as well as a small blackPeaked cap with a yellowCoat of Arms of Albania badge at the top. In March 2016, a new uniform was unveiled which includes the officer's ranks and nametag, both of which are sewn on thetunic. According to the online newspaperShqiptarja.com, the uniform changes reportedly cost 113 millionAlbanian Lek (about 1.1 millionUSD).[13][14]
Handguns Sniper Rifle | Assault Rifles Submachine guns | Knives Other
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| State entities |  | |
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| Intelligence agencies | ||
| Regional and municipal | ||
| Defunct units | ||
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