Kenya and Ethiopia deepen military ties in bid to secure unstable borderlands
ADDIS ABABA — In a gesture that underlines shifting patterns of regional security cooperation in the Horn of Africa, Kenya and Ethiopia on Monday signed a defence cooperation agreement aimed at tightening the two neighbours’ response to cross‑border threats, including the al‑Shabaab insurgency that has long bled into northeastern Kenya.
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Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces, General Charles Kahariri, and Ethiopia’s commander, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, put their signatures to the pact at the Ethiopian Defence Headquarters in Addis Ababa. The text outlines mechanisms for joint training, enhanced interoperability, faster intelligence exchange and even shared investment in defence industry and resilient infrastructure, according to a statement from the Kenya Defence Forces.
More than an agreement on paper
For both capitals, the pact is practical and symbolic. Practical because Kenyans have endured repeated al‑Shabaab attacks in counties such as Mandera, Wajir and Garissa over the last decade — a reminder that the group’s reach extends beyond Somalia’s borders and into grazing lands and trading routes where state control is thin. Symbolic because it signals a desire for African actors to take greater ownership of their security arrangements, at a time when external influences and competing partnerships complicate the region’s strategic landscape.
“This is a clear expression of African self‑reliance — mastering our collective fate through cooperation, ingenuity, and shared action,” General Kahariri said, according to the KDF account. Field Marshal Jula described the accord as an outgrowth of a long relationship rooted in shared borders, history and common challenges, adding that the deal will contribute to peace and prosperity in the wider region.
What the pact aims to do
Official descriptions emphasize a structured framework to make collaboration more “efficient, effective and timely.” That is likely to mean:
- Expanded joint training exercises to improve battlefield interoperability;
- Agreed protocols for rapid intelligence sharing, particularly on cross‑border movements and extremist networks;
- Cooperation on infrastructure and defence industrial projects that could reduce reliance on foreign suppliers.
Beyond these technical items, the move may also open avenues for coordinated border management, criminal investigations and civilian protection measures in volatile frontier zones where pastoralists, traders and small towns straddle state lines.
Border realities and local stakes
On the ground, communities along the Kenya‑Ethiopia frontier have long lived with porous borders. Markets in towns such as Moyale — a commercial nexus split by the international line — hum with traders who cross daily to buy and sell livestock, grain and goods. For them, the practical question is whether tighter military cooperation will reduce the risk of raids and extortion, or simply bring more armed actors into their backyard.
Local memories of past incursions and heavy‑handed security operations are fresh. Any new security architecture needs to be sensitive to livelihoods and movement patterns if it is to be seen as protective rather than punitive.
Implications for the region and beyond
The agreement comes amid wider repositioning in the Horn. Ethiopia has emerged from years of internal turmoil and is reasserting a regional role; Kenya continues to juggle domestic politics with its long‑standing engagement in Somalia, where it has at times taken direct military action against al‑Shabaab. For Addis Ababa and Nairobi, deeper defence ties could offer complementary capabilities — from Ethiopia’s larger land forces to Kenya’s experience with regional counter‑insurgency operations.
Analysts say the pact could also be read as part of a broader trend: African states increasingly prefer bilateral and pan‑regional responses to security challenges rather than relying solely on external powers. The African Union and sub‑regional bodies like the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have long advocated for locally devised solutions, and this deal fits that template.
But deeper military cooperation raises questions. How will rules of engagement be set across sovereign forces operating near civilian areas? What oversight mechanisms will exist to protect civilians and prevent abuses? How will cooperation with external partners — whether the United States, European countries, or other security partners — be coordinated so as not to undermine regional autonomy?
Economic and industrial dimensions
Notably, the agreement includes language about joint investment in “innovation, resilient infrastructure, and industrial capacity.” That signals a recognition that security cannot be divorced from economic resilience. Investing in shared logistics hubs, maintenance facilities, or small arms production could deepen ties but would also require transparency and long‑term funding commitments.
For East African economies already strained by inflationary pressures and competing budget priorities, financing such ambitions will be a test. Will the defence partnership attract private investment? Can it be oriented toward dual‑use projects — roads, communications, health logistics — that benefit civilians as well as militaries?
Broader questions for the Horn
As Nairobi and Addis stitch together a closer security posture, neighbors and international partners will be watching. A successful collaboration could offer a model for African solutions to transnational threats. A misstep — whether a heavy‑handed operation in a civilian area or an ill‑coordinated external engagement — could deepen mistrust and instability.
The new pact invites a string of questions that go to the heart of modern African security policy: Can neighbours strike a balance between robust defence and protection of civil liberties? Can investments in defence industry be aligned with economic development objectives? And crucially, will communities along the border feel safer as a result?
For now, the signatures in Addis Ababa mark a deliberate turn toward cooperation. The real test will be whether that promise is translated into operations and institutions that reduce violence without imposing new costs on the people who live on the fault lines of the Horn.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
