Addis Abeba– Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) has stated that Kenya’s security operation against the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA) is being carried out in coordination with Ethiopian security forces, targeting “OLA camps” located within their respective borders.
In a statement on February 4, NISS said the operation follows discussions between senior security officials, including its Director General, Ambassador Redwan Hussein, and Kenya’s National Intelligence Service Director General, Noordin Mohamed Haji . The agency stated that the two countries had agreed to strengthen “regional security and intelligence cooperation.”
The announcement comes after Kenya’s National Police Service (NPS) launched its security operation, ‘Operation Ondoa Jangili,’ targeting what it described as “criminals conducting illegal operations” in Marsabit and Isiolo counties. A statement from the NPS on February 3 said the operation aims to “flush out hideouts” used for “arms, drug and human trafficking, illegal mining,” and “instigating tribal conflicts.”
OLA, however, denied involvement in criminal activities, stating that it “fully respects Kenya’s sovereignty and territorial integrity.” The group asserted that “over 95% of our Southern Command forces operate deep within Oromia,” with only a small presence near the border. It also expressed willingness to “cooperate with Kenyan authorities in addressing criminal elements” along the border.
In its statement, NISS stated that OLA has been a “national security threat” through its involvement in “illegal weapons trade, human and mineral trafficking,” and “inciting ethnic violence.”
According to NISS, security forces from Ethiopia and Kenya are carrying out “coordinated operations” against OLA camps in border regions. NISS claimed that the group has been involved in “illegal weapons trade, human and mineral trafficking,” and “inciting ethnic violence.” It further stated that “extensive operations” had already inflicted “significant human and material damage” on OLA fighters.
Ethiopia and Kenya signed an agreement in August 2024 to enhance security cooperation along their shared border, Ethiopia’s National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS) said. The memorandum of understanding covered “intelligence exchange and other security issues,” with NISS citing “security concerns” related to cross-border threats. AS
