What You Need to Know
Ethiopia’s armed forces announced the first meeting of the joint defense committee with Morocco in Addis Ababa, marking a significant shift in military cooperation. The meeting aimed to implement a military cooperation agreement signed in June 2025, focusing on developing a long-term partnership that serves the strategic interests of both nations.
Africa. Ethiopia’s armed forces announced the first meeting of the joint defense committee with Morocco in Addis Ababa, a step described as a qualitative shift in the trajectory of military cooperation between the two countries.
Observers noted that the inaugural meeting of the Moroccan-Ethiopian joint defense committee has ushered in an unprecedented phase of military collaboration. This meeting took place within the context of activating a military cooperation agreement signed in June 2025 in Rabat, focusing on discussing a draft action plan aimed at structuring and developing areas of military cooperation and establishing a practical foundation for a long-term partnership that serves the strategic interests of both parties.
The discussions centered on preparing a clear roadmap for defense cooperation, which included programs for joint training, exchange of experiences in military medicine and scientific research, as well as exploring opportunities for joint military manufacturing and technology transfer. This opens the door for building self-reliant capabilities and reducing dependence on traditional partners.
In this context, the Middle East Forum for Military Sciences pointed out that one of the most notable aspects of the meeting was Morocco’s announcement of practical steps to benefit from Ethiopian defense supply chains. This reflects a significant shift in Morocco’s armament doctrine, which is now based on diversifying sources of armament and reducing near-exclusive reliance on Europe and the United States.
The forum believes that this rapprochement extends beyond a bilateral framework, as Ethiopia, historically associated with supporting the Polisario Front, now appears closer to adopting a more neutral stance, driven by increasing economic and military interests with Morocco. For Rabat, strengthening relations with Addis Ababa, the headquarters of the African Union, is a significant diplomatic gain in the context of competition for influence within the African continent.
Furthermore, questions have arisen regarding what has been described as the “unannounced triangle” between Morocco, Ethiopia, and Israel, given the advanced military and technical relations linking Rabat and Tel Aviv, and Addis Ababa’s reliance on Israeli technology to modernize its armed forces.
This reality opens the door for potential indirect cooperation scenarios, which may include the unification of certain systems or transforming Morocco into a regional hub for the maintenance of Israeli equipment operating in Africa, thereby reducing the political and logistical costs for Ethiopia.
Previous reports have questioned Egypt’s stance on the military agreements between Morocco and Ethiopia, which Egyptian circles have described as a rapprochement at the expense of Cairo’s national interests, especially as relations with Addis Ababa have been strained over the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis.
It is noteworthy that former U.S. President Donald Trump had sent a message to his Egyptian counterpart Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, expressing readiness to resume U.S. mediation between Egypt and Ethiopia to reach a final agreement on the sharing of Nile waters and resolve the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam crisis, emphasizing that “no country in this region should unilaterally control the precious Nile resources and harm its neighbors in the process.”
Historically, Ethiopia has been associated with supporting the Polisario Front, but recent developments indicate a shift towards a more neutral stance, driven by growing economic and military interests with Morocco. This change is significant as Morocco seeks to enhance its diplomatic standing in Africa, particularly with Ethiopia being the headquarters of the African Union.
