Addis Ababa, January 27, 2026 (FMC) — Ethiopia and the United States have agreed to enhance cooperation aimed at safeguarding their respective national interests and advancing shared peace and security objectives.
The understanding was reached during talks held in Addis Ababa between Ethiopian Minister of Defense Aisha Mohammed and Commander of the United States Africa Command (AFRICOM), General Dagvin R. M. Anderson, following which the two sides issued a joint statement.
Discussions focused on strengthening military-to-military relations and deepening defense cooperation between the two countries.
Minister Aisha noted that while Ethiopia and the United States share a long-standing partnership, both sides agreed on the need to elevate their diplomatic and military engagement to a higher-level strategic partnership.
She said the two countries committed to working closely to protect their respective national interests, emphasizing that cooperation would be pursued on the basis of mutual benefit and equality.
The Minister further stated that Ethiopia and the United States reached a shared understanding to collaborate on peace and security matters, including joint efforts to combat terrorism.
For his part, AFRICOM Commander General Anderson said his visit to Ethiopia provided a meaningful opportunity to participate in the 90th anniversary of the Ethiopian Air Force and to reflect on the historical ties between the two nations while strengthening future cooperation.
He said the visit enabled discussions not only on past relations but also on addressing common regional security challenges and expanding bilateral defense cooperation.
General Anderson added that the engagements in Addis Ababa created a valuable platform to further reinforce the partnership between Ethiopia and the United States, according to the Ethiopian National Defense Force (ENDF) online media team.