Kenya, Ethiopia Seal Defence Pact to Tackle Regional Security Threats

Nairobi, Kenya — September 25, 2025

Kenya and Ethiopia have strengthened their security ties by signing a new Defence Cooperation Agreement (DCA), aimed at bolstering joint efforts to confront evolving threats in the Horn of Africa. The pact was inked in Addis Ababa by Kenya’s Chief of Defence Forces (CDF), General Charles Kahariri, and Ethiopia’s Chief of the National Defence Forces, Field Marshal Birhanu Jula. 

The Latest

• The agreement formalises structured cooperation between the two militaries, emphasising joint training, improved interoperability, and rapid intelligence sharing. 

• Kenya’s defence forces described the pact as a step toward “more efficient, effective, and timely cooperation” in dealing with cross-border and regional security threats. 

• General Kahariri framed the agreement as an expression of African self-reliance, noting that stronger defence ties signal a move to “master our collective fate through cooperation, ingenuity, and shared action.” 

• Observers report that this is the second major defence pact between Kenya and Ethiopia, with a prior agreement dating back decades. 

Context & Strategic Significance

• Kenya and Ethiopia share an 861-kilometre border, with historical security linkages and mutual interest in regional stability. 

• The Horn of Africa faces a spectrum of security challenges: militant insurgencies, cross-border smuggling, human trafficking, and fragile states within proximity. Better coordination between Kenya and Ethiopia could help address these. 

• The agreement comes at a time when East African defence collaborations are increasingly viewed as necessary to reduce overreliance on external powers and to strengthen regional responses to threats.

Law, Policy & Implementation

• This DCA establishes a legal and institutional framework for cooperation. Key elements include:

  1. Joint Training Exercises — regular coordinated drills, shared doctrine development

  2. Intelligence Sharing — faster exchange of actionable information related to security threats

  3. Interoperability — harmonising communications, logistics, and command capabilities

  4. Defence Infrastructure & Industry Collaboration — possibly co-development of capacities and systems

• Moving forward, implementation will require political backing, budget allocations, legal ratifications, and oversight to ensure compliance with sovereignty norms.

Voices & Stakeholders

• Kenya Defence Forces (KDF): Issued the announcement on X, confirming the signing and the core focus areas of the agreement. 

• DefenseWeb (regional security portal) described the agreement as an expansion of regional defence diplomacy aligned with contemporary threat environments. 

• Local analysts caution that the real test will be in implementation, particularly in areas such as joint command, logistics linkages, and sustained political will.

Evidence & Data Highlights

Risks, Implications & Scenarios

Risks & Challenges

• Sovereignty concerns: ensuring that cooperation respects national autonomy in sensitive operations

• Implementation gaps: disparity between agreement text and ground realities (funding, logistics, bureaucratic inertia)

• External pressure or geopolitical pushback: neighbors or rival powers may view the pact with suspicion

Implications & Opportunities

• Enhanced deterrence: adversaries may be less willing to exploit border or regional weak spots

• Regional leadership: Kenya and Ethiopia could jointly lead security initiatives in IGAD and the Horn

• Defence capability growth: synergy in training, infrastructure, intelligence can raise both countries’ military capacity

Possible Scenarios

1. Strong implementation: joint brigades, shared bases, intelligence cells along the border

2. Partial cooperation: limited to intelligence sharing and occasional exercises, with avoidable friction

3. Stagnation: agreement on paper but limited real cooperation due to institutional bottlenecks

What We Don’t Know Yet

• The exact institutional structure overseeing joint operations and accountability

• How funding burden will be shared or allocated for joint programs

• Whether the agreement will be ratified and domesticated through legal frameworks in both countries

• How existing security treaties with other nations may interface or conflict with this pact

Timeline

• 1963: First noted defence cooperation between Kenya and Ethiopia historic linkage 

• 2025-09-24/25: The new Defence Cooperation Agreement signed in Addis Ababa by military chiefs 

• TBD: Next steps include ratification, activation of joint units, rollout of plans on training and intelligence mechanisms

What to Watch

• Announcement of joint military exercises and their locations

• Activation of intelligence fusion centers or cross-border surveillance hubs

• Parliamentary or legislative moves in Kenya and Ethiopia to ratify or allocate budgets

• How this agreement impacts or aligns with broader Horn of Africa security pacts and partnerships