Hundreds of police officers took part Saturday in a parade in the Ethiopian capital, Addis Ababa, ahead of elections scheduled to take place on Monday.
The show of force included police dogs and riot police, which paraded past government officials.
The mayor of Addis Ababa, Adenach Abebe, addressed police officers, suggesting they uphold "the integrity" of Ethiopians by staying impartial and "upholding" and "abiding by the rule of law."
One local resident, Eskedar Teklegiorges felt the police shouldn't be needed and that the Ethiopian people could maintain a friendly atmosphere.
"We do not need the government to ensure peace, as peace belongs to us," she said, adding it's the people's "duty to remain united."
The election has been overshadowed by reports of famine in the country's war-hit Tigray region and beset by logistical problems that mean some people won't be able to vote until September.
It is also the centerpiece of a reform drive by Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, whose rise to power in 2018 seemed to signal a break with decades of authoritarian rule and led to his Nobel Peace Prize the following year.
