The Republican Guard () is a paramilitary government agency of Albania mandated by law to protect high-ranking state officials, including the

President of Albania The president of Albania (), officially the president of the Republic of Albania (), is the head of state, commander-in-chief of the Albanian Armed Forces, military and the representative of the unity of the Albanian people. The president sets ...

, as well as certain national properties, high-ranking foreign visitors and diplomatic offices. It is mostly subordinate to the

Ministry of Internal Affairs An interior ministry or ministry of the interior (also called ministry of home affairs or ministry of internal affairs) is a government department that is responsible for domestic policy, public security and law enforcement. In some states, the i ...

, except that the unit responsible for the president's security being under the authority of the president. The Guard was established on 24 June 1928 as part of the

Albanian Armed Forces The Albanian Armed Forces () are the military of Albania and were formed after the declaration of independence in 1912. Today, it consists of the General Staff, the Albanian Land Force, Albanian Air Force and the Albanian Naval Force. The P ...

. 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.

History

Royal Guard (1928–1939)

The Republican Guard was established in the late 1920s when President

Ahmet Zogu Zog I (born Ahmed Muhtar Zogolli; 8 October 18959 April 1961) was the leader of Albania from 1922 to 1939. At age 27, he first served as Albania's youngest ever Prime Minister (1922–1924), then as president (1925–1928), and finally as King ...

(later King Zog I) demanded the reorganization of the

and the creation of a special unit, separated from the Militias and

Gendarmerie A gendarmerie () is a paramilitary or military force with law enforcement duties among the civilian population. The term ''gendarme'' () is derived from the medieval French expression ', which translates to " men-at-arms" (). In France and so ...

, 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 was

public duties Public duties are performed by military personnel, and usually have a ceremonial or historic significance rather than an overtly operational role. Armenia Since September 2018, the Honour Guard Battalion (Armenia), Honour Guard Battalion of the Mi ...

Tirana Tirana ( , ; ) is the capital and List of cities and towns in Albania, largest city of Albania. It is located in the centre of the country, enclosed by mountains and hills, with Dajti rising to the east and a slight valley to the northwest ov ...

, 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. 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: * The Guard Command * 1 battalion (21

Officers An officer is a person who has a position of authority in a hierarchical organization. The term derives from Old French ''oficier'' "officer, official" (early 14c., Modern French ''officier''), from Medieval Latin ''officiarius'' "an officer," fro ...

; 37 Sub-Officers; 412 Guards) * 1

platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

cavalry Historically, cavalry (from the French word ''cavalerie'', itself derived from ''cheval'' meaning "horse") are groups of soldiers or warriors who Horses in warfare, fight mounted on horseback. Until the 20th century, cavalry were the most mob ...

* Guards Band and Bugles * Military Depot

Socialist Republican Guard (1945–1991)

After the

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, the Guard would be named Special Battalion of the General Staff, being a structure within the ''People's Defense Division (DMP)''. In February 1947, the department was renamed the Republican Guard Department. By the end of the 1940s, the Guard began to recruit servicemen through the

conscription Conscription, also known as the draft in the United States and Israel, is the practice in which the compulsory enlistment in a national service, mainly a military service, is enforced by law. Conscription dates back to antiquity and it conti ...

service; until then it consisted of ex-

Partisans Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Itali ...

of the

Albanian National Liberation Army The National Liberation Movement (; or ''Lëvizja Antifashiste Nacional-Çlirimtare'' (LANÇ)), also translated as National Liberation Front, was an Albanian communist resistance organization that fought in World War II. It was created on 16 Sept ...

''(UNÇSH)''. In 1951, the Guard became part of the

, which charged the battalion with the function of preserving and securing the high-ranking state officials and important members of the communist party, including their residential areas in

Ish-Blloku Ish-Blloku (), commonly Blloku (), is an upmarket area in Tirana, Albania. It widely known as an entertainment destination with its boutiques, shops, restaurants, trendy bars, pubs, and cafes. The area is part of the neighbourhood of Tirana e ...

. 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 the Soviet-Albanian split and the

Warsaw Pact invasion of Czechoslovakia On 20–21 August 1968, the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic was jointly invaded by four fellow Warsaw Pact countries: the Soviet Union, the Polish People's Republic, the People's Republic of Bulgaria, and the Hungarian People's Republic. The ...

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, the

Artillery Artillery consists of ranged weapons that launch Ammunition, munitions far beyond the range and power of infantry firearms. Early artillery development focused on the ability to breach defensive walls and fortifications during sieges, and l ...

Command was created. In 1976, with the adoption of the new Constitution, the name of the Guard changed to the Republican Guard Regiment of the Socialist Republic of Albania. Its organization included: * Command Center * Political department * General Staff of the Guard Regiment * Artillery Command * 3 active infantry battalions (1st to 3rd Battalions, Republican Guard) * 4 reserve battalions (4th to 7th Battalions (Volunteers), Republican Guard) * Instruction Center in Mullet * Autonomous bases (

Durrës Durrës ( , ; sq-definite, Durrësi) is the List of cities and towns in Albania#List, second most populous city of the Albania, Republic of Albania and county seat, seat of Durrës County and Durrës Municipality. It is one of Albania's oldest ...

Vlorë Vlorë ( ; ; sq-definite, Vlora) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, third most populous city of Albania and seat of Vlorë County and Vlorë Municipality. Located in southwestern Albania, Vlorë sprawls on the Bay of Vlorë and is surr ...

Pogradec Pogradec (,) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, eleventh most populous city in Albania and the capital of the eponymous municipality. It is located on a List of settlements on the Lake Ohrid coastline, narrow plain between two mountain ch ...

Lezhë Lezhë (, sq-definite, Lezha) is a List of cities and towns in Albania, city in the Republic of Albania and seat of Lezhë County and Lezhë Municipality. It is one of Albania's List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest continuously i ...

and

Korçë Korçë (; sq-definite, Korça) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, eighth most populous city of Albania and the seat of Korçë County and Korçë Municipality. The total population of the city is 51,152 and 75,994 of Korçë municipal ...

) * 1 anti-aircraft battery equipped with

ZPU The ZPU (, meaning "anti-aircraft machine gun mount") is a family of towed anti-aircraft guns based on the Soviet 14.5×114mm KPV heavy machine gun. It entered service with the Soviet Union in 1949 and is used by over 50 countries worldwide. Q ...

* 1

artillery battery In military organizations, an artillery battery is a unit or multiple systems of artillery, mortar systems, rocket artillery, multiple rocket launchers, surface-to-surface missiles, ballistic missiles, cruise missiles, etc., so grouped to f ...

equipped with

ZiS-3 The 76-mm divisional gun M1942 (ZiS-3) () (GRAU index: 52-P-354U) was a Soviet 76.2 mm divisional field gun used during World War II. ''ZiS'' was a factory designation and stood for ''Zavod imeni Stalina'' ("factory named after Stalin"), t ...

* 1

company A company, abbreviated as co., is a Legal personality, legal entity representing an association of legal people, whether Natural person, natural, Juridical person, juridical or a mixture of both, with a specific objective. Company members ...

each of

Flamethrower A flamethrower is a ranged incendiary device designed to project a controllable jet of fire. First deployed by the Byzantine Empire in the 7th century AD, flamethrowers saw use in modern times during World War I, and more widely in World W ...

;

Tank A tank is an armoured fighting vehicle intended as a primary offensive weapon in front-line ground combat. Tank designs are a balance of heavy firepower, strong armour, and battlefield mobility provided by tracks and a powerful engine; ...

s; Engineers Corps; Chemical Corps; Support Corps and Transport Support * 1 armored transport

Platoon A platoon is a Military organization, military unit typically composed of two to four squads, Section (military unit), sections, or patrols. Platoon organization varies depending on the country and the Military branch, branch, but a platoon can ...

* Regimental Band On 4 February 1984 the Presidium of the People's Assembly awarded the "Order of the National Flag" to the Republican Guard Regiment.

1991–present

On 9 September 1992, the

Albanian Parliament The Parliament of Albania () or Kuvendi is the unicameral representative body of the citizens of the Republic of Albania; it is Albania's legislature. The Parliament is composed of no less than 140 members elected to a four-year term on the b ...

adopted the law "On the Republican Guard", which stipulated that the guard, which at the time was named the Specialized 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 the Albanian unrest of 1997, the Republican Guard was decorated with the Golden Medal of the Eagle (“Medalja e Artë e Shqiponjës”) on its

diamond jubilee A diamond jubilee celebrates the 60th anniversary of a significant event related to a person (e.g. accession to the throne or wedding, among others) or the 60th anniversary of an institution's founding. The term is also used for 75th annivers ...

in 1998. In January 2011, six members of the guard were arrested over the deaths of four civilian protesters in an opposition demonstration outside Prime Minister

Sali Berisha Sali Berisha (; born 15 October 1944) is an Albanian cardiologist and conservative politician who served as the president of Albania from 1992 to 1997 and as the 32nd Prime Minister of Albania, prime minister of Albania from 2005 to 2013. Berisha ...

's office. Three of them were later released by the general prosecutor.

Mission

The Republican Guard Battalion of Albania is a structure of special status in the

, whose mission is to provide

physical security Physical security describes security measures that are designed to deny unauthorized access to facilities, equipment, and resources and to protect personnel and property from damage or harm (such as espionage, theft, or terrorist attacks). Physi ...

to the

President President most commonly refers to: *President (corporate title) * President (education), a leader of a college or university *President (government title) President may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television *'' Præsident ...

;

Prime Minister A prime minister or chief of cabinet is the head of the cabinet and the leader of the ministers in the executive branch of government, often in a parliamentary or semi-presidential system. A prime minister is not the head of state, but r ...

; 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 as

Parliament In modern politics and history, a parliament is a legislative body of government. Generally, a modern parliament has three functions: Representation (politics), representing the Election#Suffrage, electorate, making laws, and overseeing ...

; Presidential Office and other buildings defined in the same law. The guard missions are: *Guarding important public buildings in

or across the country *Honor and security services for the highest national personalities and important foreign guests *Military ceremonies and guards of honour for fallen soldiers *Support of other law enforcement forces with intervention (i.e. Special Unit) teams It often cooperates with the

Albanian Armed Forces Band The Albania Armed Forces Band () is a professional military band from Albania that has the duty to provide military accompaniment for the Albanian Armed Forces as well as take part in protocol events with the Republican Guard (Albania), Republican ...

in completing these tasks.

Uniform

The current

full dress uniform Full dress uniform, also known as a ceremonial dress uniform or parade dress uniform, is among the most formal wear, formal type of uniform used by military, police, firefighter, fire and other public uniformed services for official parade (mili ...

consists of a red

tunic A tunic is a garment for the torso, usually simple in style, reaching from the shoulders to a length somewhere between the hips and the ankles. It might have arm-sleeves, either short or full-length. Most forms have no fastenings. The name deri ...

and

dress pants A suit, also called a lounge suit, business suit, dress suit, or formal suit, is a set of clothes comprising a suit jacket and trousers of identical textiles generally worn with a collared dress shirt, necktie, and dress shoes. A skirt suit ...

, as well as a small black

Peaked cap A peaked cap, peaked hat, service cap, barracks cover, or combination cap is a form of headgear worn by the armed forces of many nations, as well as many uniformed civilian organisations such as law enforcement agencies and fire departments. It d ...

with a yellow

Coat of Arms of Albania The coat of arms of Albania ( Albanian: Stema e Republikës së Shqipërisë) is an adaptation of the flag of Albania and is based on the symbols of Gjergj Kastrioti Skanderbeg. It features the black double-headed eagle, documented in official ...

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 the

. According to the online newspaper ''Shqiptarja.com'', the uniform changes reportedly cost 113 million

Albanian Lek The lek (; indefinite singular ''lek'', definite plural ''lekët'', indefinite plural ''lekë''; Currency symbol, sign: L; ISO 4217, code: ALL) is the currency of Albania. Historically, it was subdivided into 100 ''qintars'' (; singular ''qinda ...

(about 1.1 million

USD The United States dollar (symbol: $; currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introduced the U.S. dollar at par with the Spanish silver dollar, divided it int ...

Equipment

Armament

''Handguns'' *

Glock 17 Glock (; stylized as GLOCK) is a brand of polymer- framed, short-recoil-operated, striker-fired, locked-breech semi-automatic pistols designed and produced by Austrian manufacturer Glock Ges.m.b.H. The firearm entered Austrian military an ...

9×19mm Parabellum The 9×19mm Parabellum (also known as 9mm Luger, 9mm NATO or simply 9mm) is a Rim (firearms)#Rimless, rimless, Centerfire ammunition, centerfire, tapered cartridge (firearms), firearms cartridge. Originally designed by Austrian firearm designer ...

* TT-30

7.62×25mm Tokarev The 7.62×25mm Tokarev cartridge (designated as the 7.62 × 25 Tokarev by the C.I.P.) is a Soviet rimless bottleneck pistol cartridge widely used in former Soviet states and in China, among other countries. The cartridge was largely superseded ...

* Makarov

9×18mm Makarov The 9×18mm Makarov (designated 9mm Makarov by the C.I.P. and often called 9×18mm PM) is a pistol and submachine gun cartridge developed in the former USSR. During the latter half of the 20th century, it was a standard military pistol cartrid ...

Beretta M9 The Beretta M9, officially the Pistol, Semiautomatic, 9mm, M9, is the designation for the Beretta 92FS semi-automatic pistol used by the United States Armed Forces. The M9 was adopted by the United States military as their service pistol in 1 ...

''Sniper Rifle'' * Dragunov 7.62×54mmR ''Assault Rifles'' *

AK47 The AK-47, officially known as the Avtomat Kalashnikova (; also known as the Kalashnikov or just AK), is an assault rifle that is chambered for the 7.62×39mm cartridge. Developed in the Soviet Union by Russian small-arms designer Mikhail Kal ...

7.62×39mm *

AKMS The AKM () is an assault rifle designed by Soviet small arms designer Mikhail Kalashnikov in 1959. It was developed as the successor to the AK-47 adopted by the Soviet Union a decade prior. Introduced into service with the Soviet Army in 1959, ...

5.45×39mm (''Albanian Model 56 SOPMOD'') ''Submachine guns'' *

HK MP5 The Heckler & Koch MP5 (, ) is a submachine gun developed in the 1960s by German firearms manufacturer Heckler & Koch. It uses a similar modular design to the Heckler & Koch G3, and has over 100 variants and clones, including selective fire, s ...

** MP5A3 ** MP5-PDW ** MP5SD ** MP5K ''Knives'' * Randall ''Other'' *

Night Vision Goggles A night-vision device (NVD), also known as a night optical/observation device (NOD) or night-vision goggle (NVG), is an optoelectronic device that allows visualization of images in low levels of light, improving the user's night vision. The ...

Gas mask A gas mask is a piece of personal protective equipment used to protect the wearer from inhaling airborne pollutants and toxic gases. The mask forms a sealed cover over the nose and mouth, but may also cover the eyes and other vulnerable soft ...

Pepper spray Pepper spray, oleoresin capsicum spray, OC spray, capsaicin spray, mace, or capsicum spray is a Tear gas, lachrymator (tear gas) product containing as its active ingredient the chemical compound capsaicin, which irritates the eyes with burning ...

* Flash-bangs

References

External links

Official website
{{Law enforcement in Albania Government agencies established in 1928 Military units and formations established in 1928 Military units and formations disestablished in 1939 Military units and formations established in 1945 Military units and formations disestablished in 1991 Military units and formations established in 1991 Guards regiments 1997 Albanian civil unrest Military units and formations of Albania Guards of honour Gendarmerie