Ethiopian, Kenyan intelligence chiefs discuss joint fight against terrorism

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia: Ethiopia and Kenya will do more to work together in counter-terrorism, the top intelligence officials of the two East African countries pledged.

The Kenyan delegation, led by intelligence chief Gen. Nuredin Mohammed Haji, arrived in the Ethiopian capital Addis Ababa on Wednesday and met with the neighboring country’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) chief, Redwan Hussien, according to Ethiopian Press Agency.

The two sides agreed to strengthen coordinated operations to prevent and counteract the ongoing threat posed by terrorist groups in the region, particularly the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), which operates along their shared border.

According to the Ethiopian intelligence office, the talks focused on the OLA’s escalating threat, particularly the recent kidnapping of two South Korean nationals, who were later handed over to al-Shabaab, another terrorist group affiliated with Al Qaeda.

The OLA, a renegade faction of a previously banned opposition party that returned from exile in 2018, has been linked to a number of criminal activities, including kidnapping, looting, property destruction, and illegal mining, according to the office.

The armed group’s grievances stem from claims of marginalization and neglect of the Oromo people, the country’s largest ethnic group, with a population of approximately 35 million, according to the Central Statistics Authority.

In response to growing security concerns, Ethiopian and Kenyan intelligence agencies have agreed to take immediate action to combat smuggling, illegal arms trafficking, and illicit mineral extraction and transportation.

The intelligence chiefs also emphasized the importance of a peaceful resolution to the conflict and instability in Sudan, promising to support efforts to restore peace and stability in the region.