ADDIS ABABA, June 7 (Xinhua) -- Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed has appointed Seare Mekonen as the chief of staff of Ethiopia National Defense Forces (ENDF), replacing Samora Younous, state media Ethiopia Broadcasting Corporation said Thursday.

Local and foreign analysts have been keenly watching Abiy's moves in the army and intelligence sectors ever since he came to power in April as a test of his grip on power.

At a ceremony held in the national palace in Addis Ababa, Younous formally handed over his army chief position to Mekonen in the presence of Ahmed and Ethiopian President Mulatu Teshome.

During the ceremony Younous was honored with Ethiopia's highest military award for his four-decade service in ENDF.

In a related development, the Office of the Prime Minister of Ethiopia in a press statement announced a decision to restore full ranks to two ex-generals who had been stripped of their title after being accused of a coup plot in 2009.