Ethiopia and Kenya have signed a fresh Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA) aimed at strengthening security collaboration and intelligence sharing to counter regional threats. The agreement was inked on September 24, 2025, at the National Defense Headquarters in Addis Ababa, following a high-level bilateral meeting between Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, Chief of General Staff of the Ethiopian Armed Forces, and General Charles Kahariri, Kenya’s Chief of Defense Forces.
This milestone comes six decades after the first pact was signed in 1963, the same year Kenya gained independence. It marks a new chapter in the longstanding fraternal ties between the two nations, which extend across diplomacy, politics, trade, and people-to-people connections.
The new pact provides a strategic framework for cooperation in intelligence sharing, joint training, military exercises, counter-terrorism, border security, and defense industry development. Both countries are already contributing troops to the African Union Stabilisation Support Mission in Somalia (AUSSOM), underlining their shared commitment to regional peace.
General Kahariri stressed that deepening defence ties is more than a military step—it represents an investment in innovation, resilience, and African self-reliance. “This is a clear expression of mastering our collective fate through cooperation, ingenuity, and shared action,” he said.
Echoing these sentiments, Field Marshal Jula reaffirmed Ethiopia’s commitment to the partnership. He noted that the agreement reflects the shared history, borders, and common challenges between the two countries, and expressed confidence that it will enhance not only bilateral stability but also contribute to regional prosperity.
The signing followed a series of meetings in Nairobi and Addis Ababa, including a key session in November 2024 where both sides agreed to expand joint training and operations.
By establishing a structured framework, the DCA is expected to make collaboration more efficient, timely, and effective in addressing modern security threats. Analysts say the deal strengthens the region’s ability to respond to terrorism and instability, while reinforcing Ethiopia and Kenya’s role as anchors of peace in the Horn of Africa.
