Ethiopia, Morocco Defense Cooperation Eyes Cybersecurity, AI, and Defense Industries

Addis Ababa, — General Mohamed Berrid, Inspector General of Morocco’s Royal Armed Forces and Commander of the Southern Zone, is on a four-day official visit to Ethiopia aimed at strengthening military cooperation and expanding collaboration into cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and defense industries.

During his stay, General Berrid held talks with Field Marshal Birhanu Jula, Chief of General Staff of the Ethiopian National Defense Forces, and State Minister of Defense Martha Luigi. The discussions focused on boosting bilateral military ties, with both sides expressing satisfaction over growing cooperation and agreeing on a draft military partnership expected to be signed soon.

General Berrid also toured key Ethiopian military installations, including the Cyber Security Directorate, the Artificial Intelligence Institute, and Bishoftu Air Base.

His visit follows a similar trip to Morocco by Field Marshal Birhanu Jula in August 2024, signaling both countries’ shared interest to deepening their defense partnership across emerging sectors.

Ethiopia has recently signed a defense cooperation agreement with Rwanda, adding to a growing list of countries with which it is expanding military ties.

Over the past year, Ethiopia has taken steps to broaden similar defense cooperations, including an agreement with neighboring Kenya where both countries pledged to address shared security concerns.

Other recent developments include Field Marshal Birhanu’s visit to South Africa in September 2023. Ethiopia also formalized defense ties with South and United Arab Emirates, indicating a broader approach to expand defense partnerships across Africa and the Middle East.