Somalia: Israel and Ethiopia Seek to Expand Their Bilateral Relations and War On Al-Shabaab

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar met with his Ethiopian counterpart, Gedion Timothewos, on Wednesday in Jerusalem, where they pledged to strengthen bilateral relations between the two countries in areas of security and agriculture, among others.

“Our current cooperation covers agriculture, health, innovation, culture, and more. But I assure you it will soon encompass much more,” Saar told the media at the King David Hotel.

Timothewos praised Israel’s cutting-edge technology and also asserted that it is time to “transform the historic ties” between the two nations into greater cooperation in economic, security, artificial intelligence, and agricultural fields.

About 180.000 citizens of Ethiopian descent live in Israel, the minister said.

Saar also emphasized that terrorism must be “eradicated” and said that just as Ethiopia faces challenges posed by the jihadists of the Somali group Al-Shabab, Israel must combat the Houthis in Yemen.

“They are a threat to Israel, Africa, and the international community as a whole. We are witnessing radical Islamist terrorism in our regions: Hamas in Gaza, Hezbollah in Lebanon, jihadists in Syria, and Al Shabaab in Africa,” the Israeli politician said.