Addis Abeba — The intelligence agencies of Ethiopia and Kenya have asserted that the Oromo Liberation Army (OLA), referred to by Ethiopian authorities as "Shene," has established direct connections with the al-Shabaab militants based in Somalia. They accuse these groups of collaborating to "undermine security in the region."

These allegations were made during a visit to Addis Ababa by a Kenyan delegation headed by Nuradin Mohamed Haji, the director general of Kenya's Intelligence Service. The delegation was formally received by Ambassador Redwan Hussien, the director general of Ethiopia's National Intelligence and Security Service (NISS).

According to a statement from the NISS, the two countries had previously signed a memorandum of understanding to cooperate on "intelligence exchange and other security issues" due to shared "security concerns" along their border.

The NISS alleged that the OLA, which it refers to as the "Shene terrorist group," has been involved in "illegal activities" in the border region, including "contraband trade, illegal arms trafficking, and illegal mining."

It claimed the group recently "abducted two South Korean nationals" and handed them over to al-Shabaab.

"The group is known to have direct connections with al-Shabaab, operating in Somalia, and the two groups are collaborating to create insecurity in the area," the NISS statement said.

To counter these threats, Ethiopia and Kenya "have decided to enhance their cooperation" through "joint intelligence exchange and coordinated operations," according to the NISS.

The NISS stated that cybersecurity cooperation was also a topic of discussion, with a focus on efforts to "prevent and counter future cyber-attacks."

Beyond border security, the discussions also encompassed efforts to stabilize regional conflicts.

The agencies agreed to collaborate on resolving the conflicts and instability in Sudan and South Sudan through peaceful means, with the aim of achieving lasting peace and stability in both countries.