Ethiopia enhances military cooperation with China

Chinese Premier Li Qiang holds a welcoming ceremony for Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed prior to their talks at the Northern Hall of the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 16, 2023. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia - The government of Ethiopia has signed enhanced military cooperation with the People's Republic of China, a strategy aimed at sharing experiences besides learning technical skills due to ever-evolving technology.

Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, Chief of General Staff of the National Defense Forces, led a high-level military delegation from Ethiopia in attending the 11th Beijing Xiangshan Forum, where discussions were made.

Over 100 countries are featured in the forum, which had over 500 representatives jointly. The forum also had over 200 scholars from China and abroad, whose expertise on matters of security and defense enriched the participants.

Notably, more than 30 defense ministers and military leaders are in attendance, alongside senior officials from various international and regional bodies, Fana, the Ethiopian state-affiliated broadcaster, reports.

Field Marshal Berhanu met with General Liu Zhenli, Chief of the Joint Staff Department of the People’s Liberation Army of China, to discuss enhancing military collaboration. The two sides agreed to focus on fifth-generation warfare, technology transfers, military equipment, and capacity building.

Following their discussions, the two leaders signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to formalize their commitments. Ethiopia’s Ambassador to China, Tefera Derbew, expressed to Fana Broadcasting Corporation that the senior military delegation’s participation in the forum and subsequent bilateral meetings is expected to strengthen the capabilities of the Ethiopian defense forces.

The cooperation comes at the time the country is facing criticism over plans to annex parts of Somalia following a deal with Somaliland, a breakaway region that has offered 20 kilometers of the Red Sea in exchange for recognition as a sovereign state.

Somalia has hurriedly entered into military pacts with Egypt and Turkey, further heightening tensions within the Horn of Africa. Ethiopia is also facing a myriad of internal challenges, a gap that Somalia threatened to expose leading to the current quagmire.

GAROWE ONLINE