Ethiopia and Kenya have agreed to strengthen security coordination along the Moyale–Marsabit–Turkana corridor, endorsing structured joint military operations aimed at addressing cross-border threats and safeguarding key infrastructure linking the two countries.
The agreement is part of renewed efforts to operationalise the existing Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) between the two neighbours. Under the arrangement, the Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) and the Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) are expected to undertake phased and coordinated operations targeting vulnerable border areas and strategic assets.
The renewed focus on joint operations and infrastructure protection followed high-level bilateral talks between Ethiopia’s Minister of Defence, Engineer Aisha Mohamed Musa, and Kenya’s Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya. The meeting took place on the sidelines of the 130th anniversary commemoration of the historic Battle of Adwa in Addis Abeba.
Both sides outlined measures to enhance protection of strategic infrastructure projects, including the LAPSSET Corridor (Lamu Port–South Sudan–Ethiopia Transport Corridor), describing it as a critical regional integration initiative central to trade, energy transport, and connectivity in the Horn of Africa.
At the centre of the discussions was the implementation of the Defence Cooperation Agreement, with the two countries agreeing to adopt a phased and practical framework to fast-track outcomes of the inaugural Joint Defence Committee. Officials indicated the emphasis would be on actionable security collaboration.
Security along the Moyale–Marsabit–Turkana corridor has remained a shared concern due to cross-border criminal networks, resource-based conflicts, and the movement of armed groups. Tensions have also intensified in recent months following clashes involving Kenya’s Turkana community and Ethiopia’s Dassanech and Nyangatom communities around the Ilemi Triangle and Lake Turkana, disputes largely driven by competition over pasture, water, and fishing grounds.
The two defence chiefs also reaffirmed their commitment to stabilisation efforts in Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), underscoring the need for continued cooperation to enhance security across the Horn of Africa.
Officials from both countries attended the bilateral meeting, including Kenya’s Ambassador to Ethiopia and Permanent Representative to the African Union, Galma Boru, and senior military leaders.
In a related development, Ethiopia’s defence ministry also held bilateral talks with a delegation from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on the margins of the Adwa anniversary celebrations. The delegation, led by RDF Spokesperson Brig. Gen. Ronald Rwivanga, met with Minister Aisha Mohamed to discuss strengthening existing defence ties, including cooperation in emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and broader military collaboration.
According to RDF, discussions focused on deepening bilateral engagement and exploring technology-driven defence initiatives, reflecting growing interest among African militaries in digitalisation and innovation.
Ethiopia and Kenya also reaffirmed their commitment to stabilisation efforts in Somalia under the African Union Support and Stabilisation Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), underscoring the need for continued cooperation to enhance security across the Horn of Africa.
Senior military and diplomatic officials from the respective countries attended the meetings.
Local media further reported that Minister Aisha also held separate consultations with defence ministers and heads of delegations from several African countries attending the commemorative event. These included representatives from South Sudan, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Republic of the Congo, Botswana, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Cameroon, Mali, and Algeria.
During these discussions, the parties reviewed the implementation status of previously signed defence cooperation agreements and assessed progress to date. They also outlined strategic directions for enhanced collaboration aimed at jointly preventing terrorism and addressing transboundary security threats across the continent.
It was a month ago that Ethiopia and Kenya have held the inaugural session of their Joint Defence Committee (JDC I) in Nairobi, a move aimed at strengthening bilateral defence cooperation and enhancing regional security coordination, according to Kenya’s Ministry of Defence.
The three-day meeting, hosted at Kenya’s Defence Headquarters and presided over by Assistant Chief of Defence Forces in charge of Operations, Plans, Doctrine and Training, Major General Frederick Leuria, focused on deepening military engagement between the two countries and addressing shared security challenges in the Horn of Africa.
The meeting followed last year’s signing of a Defence Cooperation Agreement that established a formal framework for managing and strengthening defence relations between the two countries. In September 2025, Ethiopia and Kenya signed a new Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA), more than six decades after the first such pact was concluded in 1963, the year Kenya gained independence.
