Ethiopia–Morocco Defense Axis Takes Shape in Historic First Military Talks
ADDIS ABABA / RABAT — Ethiopia and Morocco have convened their first-ever Joint Defense Committee meeting, marking a significant step toward deepening military cooperation between two of Africa’s most influential regional powers.
The talks, held Thursday, focused on expanding bilateral defense relations across a broad range of areas, including military education and training, defense industry collaboration, technology transfer, and logistical cooperation. Officials from both sides described the meeting as a foundational moment in formalizing security ties that have long been cordial but largely undeveloped at the institutional level.
Major General Teshome Gemechu, Director General of External Relations and Military Cooperation at the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF), said relations between Ethiopia and Morocco have been steadily strengthening across political, economic, and security sectors.
He described the partnership as rooted in African solidarity and shared strategic interests, adding that the joint committee represents a historic milestone that opens a new phase of practical cooperation between the two defense establishments.
“This meeting creates a structured framework to translate political goodwill into concrete military collaboration,” Teshome said, emphasizing the importance of long-term institutional engagement rather than ad hoc cooperation.
On the Moroccan side, Brigadier General Abdelkahar Atmane, Director of the Quartermaster Directorate of the Royal Armed Forces, called the outcomes of the meeting a “significant development” in bilateral military relations. He said Morocco is committed to elevating defense cooperation with Ethiopia and expressed satisfaction with the progress achieved so far.
Atmane also revealed that Morocco has initiated steps to begin utilizing Ethiopian defense supplies, noting that implementation of this initiative is expected to start in the near future — a move that signals growing trust and interoperability between the two forces.
The establishment of the Joint Defense Committee comes amid broader shifts in Africa’s security landscape, as countries increasingly seek diversified partnerships, indigenous defense capabilities, and South–South cooperation outside traditional Western security frameworks.
For both Addis Ababa and Rabat, the meeting underscores a shared ambition to position themselves as stabilizing forces in their respective regions while strengthening intra-African defense coordination.
