Ethiopia, Liberia Eye Strategic Partnership in Defense and Technology

Addis Ababa, April 14, 2026 (ENA) —Ethiopia and Liberia are deepening their longstanding partnership with a renewed focus on military industry and defense technology cooperation, as both nations seek to set an example for a broader African push toward strengthening continental sovereignty in security and defense.

Leaders of the two countries, Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed and President Joseph Nyuma Boakai, held discussions in Addis Ababa, reaffirming their commitment to strengthening bilateral relations, with particular emphasis on peacekeeping and other areas of mutual interest.

Prime Minister Abiy described the meeting as productive, noting that it provided an important opportunity to strengthen and expand the longstanding partnership between the two countries.

 

During the state visit of President Boakai to Addis Ababa, both sides agreed to elevate cooperation in defense industry development, technology transfer, and military training.

Rooted in shared Pan-African history and their founding roles in the Organization of African Unity, now the African Union, the two nations are building on decades of solidarity, including Ethiopia’s past peacekeeping support in Liberia.

Ethiopia’s Minister of Defense, Aisha Mohammed, emphasized the importance of leveraging shared African experiences to strengthen collective defense capacity.

Aisha noted that both countries share a historic legacy as symbols of African independence, a foundation that continues to shape their modern partnership.

 

She also reaffirmed Ethiopia’s readiness to collaborate in military industry development and training.

Meanwhile, Liberia’s Minister of Defense, Geraldine Janet George, praised Ethiopia’s expertise in peacekeeping and military science as vital for Liberia’s capacity building.

She highlighted that Ethiopia’s contribution to peacekeeping efforts during Liberia’s civil war remains a defining pillar of their bilateral relations.

Building on this foundation, the two countries have agreed to strengthen cooperation in military industry and technology, marking a key outcome of President Boakai’s official visit.

Liberia has expressed strong interest in deepening collaboration, particularly in training and technical fields.

Beyond defense, the visit also underscored Ethiopia’s growing role as a hub for innovation and technology in Africa.

 

Liberia’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Sara Beysolow Nyanti, praised Ethiopia’s Information Technology Park during a tour with the visiting delegation, describing it as a “phenomenal” example of the continent’s digital transformation potential.

According to Minister Nyanti, the ongoing state visit is expected to play a pivotal role in strengthening cooperation and advancing a common African agenda.

During the visit, the Liberian delegation toured key facilities within the IT Park, including a data center that supports cloud services and digital infrastructure, as well as a business process outsourcing center that promotes software development, international collaboration, and job creation for Ethiopian IT professionals.

Minister Nyanti reaffirmed that Ethiopia is steadily emerging as a key center of innovation in Africa, highlighting the importance of such initiatives in advancing digital technology across the continent