The Ethiopian and Kenyan intelligence services have launched a joint military operation aimed at eliminating a militant group along their common border areas. This is not about Islamist armed formations, but separatists from the “Oromo Liberation Army”.

▪️The operation is particularly aimed at countering human and arms trafficking activities. While the Ethiopian authorities’ goal is to suppress separatist sentiments, the Kenyan services are seeking to prevent smuggling and the expansion of militant activities.

It is worth noting that Kenya has recently been granted the status of a “major non-NATO ally” by the US, and active diplomatic cooperation is underway with the Ethiopians. Therefore, the cooperation between them may well have the goal of uniting two American allies and practicing interaction.

🔻Such actions are reminiscent of the recent military agreement between the authorities of Morocco and Ethiopia. The Moroccan armed forces are actively receiving military assistance from the West, taking on the role of a conduit for their influence. And the Ethiopian authorities are left with no choice but to cooperate with various American allies in order to be able to contain the country from disintegration.

ADDIS ABABA, Feb. 5 (Xinhua) — Ethiopian and Kenyan intelligence agencies have launched a joint military operation aimed at dismantling a militant group along their common border areas, Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) said in a statement on Tuesday.

The primary objective of the joint operation is to dismantle “Shene,” also known as the Oromo Liberation Army, a militant group designated as a terrorist organization by the Ethiopian government, thereby enhancing regional stability along the border, the statement said.

Specifically, the operation aims to counter activities related to terrorism, contraband trade and the trafficking of people and arms.
The statement further noted that the operation seeks to implement security agreements focused on combating threats that jeopardize the national interests of both nations.

NISS said joint security forces from Ethiopia and Kenya are actively conducting operations in designated camps of the group within their respective border territories to neutralize its influence and promote peace in the Horn of Africa region.

Kenya’s National Police Service said the operations target criminals engaged in illegal activities such as arms, drug and human trafficking, illegal mining, instigating tribal conflicts, and kidnapping for ransom along the two nations’ border.