Kenya signs defence cooperation agreement with Ethiopia
Recognised experts from the eight-nation East African Community (EAC) spent three days in Tanzania’s Arusha talking mutual defence for the regional economic community (REC).
Defence was again on the wider regional agenda when EAC member Kenya on 24 September entered into a co-operation agreement with Ethiopia, which shares an 861 km border with Kenya. The defence co-operation agreement will, according to the Kenyan Defence Ministry, see a structured framework for more efficient, effective and timely collaboration in addressing contemporary security threats. Advancing joint training, enhancing inter-operability and strengthening mechanisms for rapid intelligence sharing also form part of the agreement.
Of the agreement, signed in Addis Ababa, Kenyan Chief of Defence Forces, General Charles Kahariri, said it is “a clear expression of African self-reliance – mastering our collective fate through co-operation, ingenuity and shared action”.
In turn Ethiopian National Defence Forces Chief, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, noted the agreement reflected a longstanding relationship between the two nations, rooted in shared borders, history and common challenges.
Arusha a week previously hosted the EAC Multi Agency Experts Working Group (MEWG) where reviewing and refining the final draft of the EAC Mutual Defence Pact (MDP) was the sole business of the meeting.
The MDP, according to Kenyan Brigadier SM Huria, will not only be a legal agreement but a symbol of solidarity and shared commitment. “By working together, we strengthen our collective defence capabilities, deter potential aggression and foster a culture grounded in peace, co-operation and mutual respect,” he told delegates.
