Situated in the strategic location of the world, the East African region is caught between ample opportunities and pressing challenges. The volatile region remains prone to natural and manmade calamities posing security threats to the entire region. With the member countries going through different political changes and mishaps, the region is becoming increasingly hotbed for terrorism, human trafficking, and other illegal activities.
With Ethiopia and Sudan going through transitional periods and South Sudan and Somalia walling in years of crisis and powerful nations increasing their military activities, the region is facing emerging security issues. The region because of its enormous strategic geographic space has always attracted powers from within and from without the region for controlling it but no one has ever been able to master it as history shows.
No wonder the region remains one of the most volatile parts of the world, producing some of the greatest numbers of refugees in the world and causing many conflicts to continue and soldier on.
The internal developments coupled with external factors are behooving the member countries to cement their cooperation in security and military spheres. There have been different initiates among the countries to bolster bilateral and multilateral cooperation.
Lately, the East African military intelligence institutions have agreed to work together on the security issue in the region.
East African Defense Intelligence Forum was held in Addis Ababa with the participation of Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan, Uganda, Tanzania, Somalia, and Djibouti, reported Ethiopian News Agency.
The countries agreed to work together on border protection, cyber, social media, social issues as well as environmental protection, youth and unemployment, and fighting terrorists and anti-peace forces with a view to building a peaceful and stable Africa.
In addition to security issues, participants have exchanged experiences in the field and visited the Defense Forces Headquarters, Information Network Security Agency (INSA), and the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute.
The participants have acknowledged the success and contributions of Ethiopia in hosting the forum.
It is to be recalled that a similar bilateral agreement was signed between Ethiopia and Kenya to bolster their cooperation in the security area.
The emerging threats are arguably a privilege for neighboring countries to cooperate in many fields Ethiopia and Kenya have lately agreed to boost their joint cooperation in security to prevent cross-border threats.
Ethiopian Federal Police Commissioner General Demelash Gebre Michael held talks with his Kenyan counterpart Hillary Nzioki Mutyambai.
The two sides discussed ways of working together to combat terrorism along with the border areas.
The two countries needed to further strengthen this cooperation on security as terrorist groups such as Al-Shabaab, OLF shene, and others continued to be a threat to the border area and the country as a whole.
The two countries seem to have given deserving focus to the weight of the matter as they are exchanging visits, discussing, and establishing cooperation at different levels. For a step forward in this cooperation, Kenyan Inspector General of National Police Service Hilary Mutyambai has been here in Addis Ababa this week.
The Kenyan Inspector General Hilary Mutyambai met his Ethiopian Counterpart Federal Police Commissioner General Demelash Gebremichael and discussed issues of mutual concern.
They said the two agreed to launch a joint operation against al-Shabaab and Shene groups to stop hostile activities by the two organizations. Briefing journalists, the two have reiterated strong security cooperation to fight cross border terrorism thereby ensuring peace and stability in the area.
Commissioner General Demelash heightens the timeliness of the cooperation as terrorist groups such as OLF-shene and Al-Shabaab are threatening to exploit the border area for their evil causes.
“There is a situation that OLF shene is getting training and penetrating through the Kenyan border. So, our cooperation is vital to foil OLF shene and Al Shabaab terrorist attacks. We will control these criminal groups through joint operations. We have agreed to work together and make the border area peaceful and enable developmental activities. We will also have an agreement to increase information exchange between the policies of the two countries. Exploiting the information, we can carry out effective operations.”
Inspector General Hilary Mutyambai said the cooperation is with respect to the longstanding relationship between the two countries.
Mutyambai stressed the MoU will enable to development of the capacity of policies of the countries and thereby ensure cross-border peace and security. “Ethiopian Federal Police and National Police Service Kenya have prepared a memorandum of agreement. The first is on information exchange and carrying out a joint operation that is based on mutual support. The second is on training.
The two policies will build capacities and sharing of experience and skills. We have also reached an agreement to work together in different areas.” For the effectiveness of the joint operation, the policies of the two countries are expected to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in Kenya in less than a month’s time.
Commissioner-General expressed commitment to work on the effectiveness of the operation and the two countries’ trade exchange and developmental integration to happen peacefully and legally. “When individuals commit crime go to other countries, this connection helps us to work together and extradite criminals. We have made a deal on this and we believe the effectiveness of this cooperation has a positive contribution to countries’ peace, stability, and benefit of people living adjacent to the border.
On the other hand, Kenya has suffered attacks from Al Shabaab and wants to keep itself safe by stopping the penetration and smuggling of the groups into its territory. Therefore, the agreement would be in the best interest of the two sides.
As per the agreement, the two sides can achieve their objective by sharing intelligence between the two agencies among others.
A statement from Mutyambai’s office said: “They discussed various matters, including a joint effort in the fight against regional and transnational crime and cooperation between our two police services geared towards capacity building.” Kenya is preparing itself to open its policy institute.
Ethiopian which already has a police institute vowed to share its experience and provide all necessary support including skilled human power to its neighbor Kenya.
Other technical, operational, and communication linkages are anticipated to feature the cooperation.
The Ethio-Kenya economic integration is expected to rise higher than what it is at the present time given the Lamu Port-South Sudan-Ethiopia-Transport (LAPSSET) corridor and Ethiopia’s purchase of land at Lamu port.
The area will be intensified with transport and infrastructure projects. Highways, standard gauges, oil refineries, and airports are some of the projects already under construction.
Given the large investment and transactions happening and to happen soon between the two countries, strengthening security cooperation would be mandatory.
Ethiopian and Kenyan policies hence are tasked with building strong cooperation and carrying out successful operations against OLF shene, Al-Shabaab and others.
Ensuring peace and stability mean realizing economic integration and thereby the two countries achieve development. Since Jomo Kenyatta- pan African and first leader of the Kenyan Republic, Ethiopia, and Kenya have had strong and fruitful diplomatic relations.
Over the years, the ties have been growing in different areas such as economic integration, security, and others.
The two countries are also supporting one another on international stages. Kenya proved its neighborliness at the United Nations Security Council meeting saying Ethiopia has the wisdom and capacity to solve its internal issue by itself.
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD THURSDAY 21 APRIL 2022
