Ethiopia, Kenya sign new Defense Cooperation Agreement allowing intelligence sharing of security threats

Ethiopia and Kenya signed a new Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA) in Addis Ababa.

This historic accord came into being six decades after the first such pact was concluded in 1963, the year Kenya gained independence.

The agreement was signed on September 24, 2025 at the National Defense Headquarters in Addis Ababa, following a bilateral meeting between Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, Chief of General Staff of the Ethiopian Armed Forces, and Kenya’s Chief of Defense Forces General Charles Charles Kahariri,.

Ethiopia and Kenya enjoy a longstanding fraternal relationship, from diplomatic to political relations, people-to-people ties, and economic cooperation.

A series of meetings held in both Nairobi and Addis Ababa led to the signing of the second cooperation agreement yesterday in the Ethiopian capital. One of these meetings, held in November last year, saw a Kenyan delegation visit Addis Ababa, where the two militaries agreed to expand joint training and security operations.

Both nations are currently contributing troops to the African Union Stabilisation Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM).

This military pact between the two brotherly nations will provide a strategic framework and set the stage for future cooperation in intelligence sharing, joint military exercises, training, defense industry development, counter-terrorism, border security, and related military matters.

The Accord will have a significant positive impact on peace and security in our region, which is already facing considerable security challenges.

The bilateral engagement seeks to establish a structured framework for more efficient, effective, and timely collaboration in addressing contemporary security threats. It also focuses on advancing joint training, enhancing interoperability, and strengthening mechanisms for rapid intelligence sharing.

Gen Kahariri emphasized that deepening defence ties between the two nations’ Forces represent an investment in innovation, resilient infrastructure, and industrial capacity.

“This is a clear expression of African self-reliance — mastering our collective fate through cooperation, ingenuity, and shared action,” he said.

Jula reaffirmed Ethiopian National Defence Forces’ commitment to the partnership, noting that the agreement reflects the long-standing relationship between the two nations, rooted in shared borders, history, and common challenges.

He expressed confidence that the cooperation will not only strengthen peace and security in both countries but also contribute to the stability and prosperity of the wider region.

Jula, noted the agreement reflected a longstanding relationship between the two nations, rooted in shared borders, history and common challenges.

The two countries have been undertaking a series of military engagements, which paved the way for the current Defense Cooperation Agreement (DCA).