U.S., Ethiopia Sign New Agreement, Enhance Security Partnership

Senior defense and government officials from the U.S. and Ethiopia held the sixth annual Bilateral Defense Committee March 31, 2016, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.


"We have worked together for over 100 years, and I know this will continue with lasting success and friendship between us."
By Air Foce Tech Sgt. Dan DeCook Combined Joint Task Force - Horn of Africa Djibouti Apr 07, 2016
View Gallery
fallback
Gallery contains 4 images

CAMP LEMONNIER, Djibouti - Senior defense and government officials from the U.S. and Ethiopia held the sixth annual Bilateral Defense Committee March 31, 2016, in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

The ministerial-level meeting produced a new agreement outlining the cross-exchange of logistics, services, supplies, and support between the nations, as well as a plan for future security cooperation activities designed to meet mutual defense priorities.

Ethiopian attendees included Gen. Samora Yunis, Ethiopian National Defence Force (ENDF) Chief of the General Staff, and Defence Minister Siraj Fegessa. U.S. attendees included Amanda Dory, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defense for African Affairs, U.S. Ambassador to Ethiopia Patricia M. Haslach, Gen. David Rodriguez, U.S. Africa Command commander, and Maj. Gen. Mark Stammer, Combined Joint Task Force-Horn of Africa commander.

After a brief coffee ceremony, Minister Siraj opened the meeting by reaffirming Ethiopia's commitment to securing a safer East African region and continuing its partnership with the U.S. for years to come.

"I look forward to continuing the close cooperation of our two defense forces. I have no doubts that we will turn that into a truly successful endeavor," said Siraj. "We have worked together for over 100 years, and I know this will continue with lasting success and friendship between us."

Dory echoed the importance of a long-lasting partnership and bilateral support between the U.S. and Ethiopia.

"Ethiopia's continued commitment to supporting the African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) and their unwavering support to the United Nations Peace Operations goes to show just how progressive and strong Ethiopia is," said Dory. "Neutralizing Al-Shabaab is a high priority for both the U.S. and Ethiopia, and working together plays a key role in peace and security."

Rodriguez opened the plenary sessions by leading discussions on counterterrorism cooperation, Somalia security sector reform cooperation and intelligence sharing.

"We remain strongly committed to supporting AMISOM and its efforts in Somalia," said Rodriguez. "Key to these efforts is the resumption of the AMISOM offensive Operation Juba Corridor (OJC)."

OJC is aimed at further degrading the Al-Shabaab violent extremist organization by removing them from their strong holds in multiple regions of Somalia. Since the start of OJC, the ENDF and other AMISOM forces have recovered major towns and villages in Somalia.

"Support between the Ethiopians and the U.S. will continue to be broad ranging, and will include equipment, training, advisory support, information sharing, and logistics support," said Rodriguez. "We will also continue to look for new opportunities where the U.S. can leverage additional resources to boost AMISOM capabilities."

The officials also discussed other regional issues including the Islamic State, ENDF support to United Nations peace support operations, impacts of drought in Ethiopia, air mobility and communications support, and defense health cooperation.

More in Partnerships
Winning the Peace through Religious Collaboration
U.S. chaplain delegation led by U.S. Africa Command Chaplain Colonel Karen Meeker conducted collaborative meetings to bring stability through faith and new avenues of collaboration in support of the warfighter while in Cairo, Egypt, March 17, 2025.
Read more
General Langley Engages with Leaders in Côte d’Ivoire
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command, traveled to Côte d’Ivoire, April 24-25, to meet with Ivorian leaders and deliver remarks at the opening ceremony of Flintlock 25, the command's annual combined special operations exercise.
Read more
Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord
NAIROBI, Kenya – Among the flurry of tactical live fires and squad movement drills, air ground integration and even the humanitarian initiatives at exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25), lies the one thing those who serve in any armed force must follow: The Law. The Law of Armed Conflict, or LOAC, is a key aspect of training for any military. JA25’s academics course aimed at learning from the international legal lessons of previous wars in an effort to reduce the amount of human suffering in future conflicts. “The soldier’s rules are a broad set of rules that we have pulled from the large breadth of international law,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tim Olliges, an operational law attorney assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the lead U.S. Army command and planner of JA25. “The LOAC is extensive and can be complex, so we pull out the ten most critical concepts that every soldier, right down to the private, should know before they go into combat.”
Read more
More in Partnerships
Winning the Peace through Religious Collaboration
U.S. chaplain delegation led by U.S. Africa Command Chaplain Colonel Karen Meeker conducted collaborative meetings to bring stability through faith and new avenues of collaboration in support of the warfighter while in Cairo, Egypt, March 17, 2025.
Read more
General Langley Engages with Leaders in Côte d’Ivoire
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command, traveled to Côte d’Ivoire, April 24-25, to meet with Ivorian leaders and deliver remarks at the opening ceremony of Flintlock 25, the command's annual combined special operations exercise.
Read more
Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord
NAIROBI, Kenya – Among the flurry of tactical live fires and squad movement drills, air ground integration and even the humanitarian initiatives at exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25), lies the one thing those who serve in any armed force must follow: The Law. The Law of Armed Conflict, or LOAC, is a key aspect of training for any military. JA25’s academics course aimed at learning from the international legal lessons of previous wars in an effort to reduce the amount of human suffering in future conflicts. “The soldier’s rules are a broad set of rules that we have pulled from the large breadth of international law,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tim Olliges, an operational law attorney assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the lead U.S. Army command and planner of JA25. “The LOAC is extensive and can be complex, so we pull out the ten most critical concepts that every soldier, right down to the private, should know before they go into combat.”
Read more
More in Partnerships
Winning the Peace through Religious Collaboration
U.S. chaplain delegation led by U.S. Africa Command Chaplain Colonel Karen Meeker conducted collaborative meetings to bring stability through faith and new avenues of collaboration in support of the warfighter while in Cairo, Egypt, March 17, 2025.
Read more
General Langley Engages with Leaders in Côte d’Ivoire
U.S. Marine Corps Gen. Michael Langley, commander of U.S. Africa Command, traveled to Côte d’Ivoire, April 24-25, to meet with Ivorian leaders and deliver remarks at the opening ceremony of Flintlock 25, the command's annual combined special operations exercise.
Read more
Army lawyers provide training on rules for armed conflict at exercise Justified Accord
NAIROBI, Kenya – Among the flurry of tactical live fires and squad movement drills, air ground integration and even the humanitarian initiatives at exercise Justified Accord 2025 (JA25), lies the one thing those who serve in any armed force must follow: The Law. The Law of Armed Conflict, or LOAC, is a key aspect of training for any military. JA25’s academics course aimed at learning from the international legal lessons of previous wars in an effort to reduce the amount of human suffering in future conflicts. “The soldier’s rules are a broad set of rules that we have pulled from the large breadth of international law,” said U.S. Army Maj. Tim Olliges, an operational law attorney assigned to U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa (SETAF-AF), the lead U.S. Army command and planner of JA25. “The LOAC is extensive and can be complex, so we pull out the ten most critical concepts that every soldier, right down to the private, should know before they go into combat.”
Read more