Ethiopia, Kenya vow to bolster counter-terrorism efforts

Ethiopia and Kenya have committed to enhancing their joint efforts in counter-terrorism as the top intelligence officials from both countries met in Addis Ababa this week. The officials pledged to strengthen coordinated operations against regional terrorist groups, particularly the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which has been implicated in a series of violent incidents along their shared border.

Kenya’s intelligence chief, Gen. Nuredin Mohammed Haji, led a delegation to meet with Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) head, Redwan Hussien, according to a report from the Ethiopian Press Agency. The discussions focused on the escalating threat posed by the OLA, a militant group that has recently intensified its activities in the region.

Ethiopian intelligence officials revealed that the OLA was responsible for the recent kidnapping of two South Korean nationals, who were later handed over to al-Shabaab, a notorious terrorist organization linked to al-Qaeda. The OLA, once part of a banned opposition party that resurfaced from exile in 2018, has been accused of numerous criminal acts, including kidnapping, looting, property destruction, and illegal mining operations.

The grievances driving the OLA stem from longstanding claims of marginalization by the Oromo people, Ethiopia’s largest ethnic group, with an estimated population of 35 million. These issues have fueled the group’s insurgency, complicating efforts by the Ethiopian government to maintain stability in the region.

In response to these rising security threats, Ethiopian and Kenyan intelligence agencies agreed to take immediate actions aimed at curbing cross-border smuggling, illegal arms trafficking, and the illicit extraction of minerals. The two countries are set to launch coordinated operations to prevent these illegal activities from further destabilizing the region.

Both sides also stressed the importance of pursuing peaceful solutions to the ongoing conflict in Sudan, pledging support for efforts aimed at restoring peace and stability in the war-torn country.

As East Africa faces growing threats from militant groups, the commitment of Ethiopia and Kenya to strengthen their intelligence and counter-terrorism cooperation could be crucial in countering the influence of terrorist organizations in the region.