Rwanda: RDF, Ethiopia Defence Minstry Talk Cooperation in Artificial Intelligence

3 March 2026
The New Times (Kigali)
By Prince Ruzigana

A delegation from the Rwanda Defence Force (RDF) on Monday, March 2, held discussion with the Ethiopian defence minister on bilateral defence cooperation, including in the area of artificial intelligence.

The delegation, led by Defence Spokesperson Brig Gen Ronald Rwivanga, was received on March 2 by Ethiopia's Minister of Defence, Aisha Muhammed, on the sidelines of celebrations marking the 130th anniversary of the historic Battle of Adwa.

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According to RDF, the meeting focused on ways to deepen existing defence ties, with discussions covering emerging areas such as artificial intelligence and broader military cooperation.

The delegation included Col David Sangani, the Defence Attaché to Ethiopia and Djibouti and representative to the African Union (AU) and the UN Economic Commission for Africa (ECA); Lt Col Gaspard Harerimana, Director General of Digitisation at the Ministry of Defence; and Maj Emmanuel Murenzi, Head of History and Archives in the Defence Policy and Analysis department.

The visit coincided with Ethiopia's national commemoration of the Battle of Adwa, a landmark 1896 victory against Italian colonial forces that remains a symbol of African resistance.

Prior to meeting, the RDF delegation participated in several official activities.

ALSO READ: Rwanda, Ethiopia expand bilateral ties

On March 1, the team attended events linked to the Adwa Victory celebrations and toured key national institutions, including the Ethiopian Military Museum/Adwa Victory Memorial, the Ethiopian Artificial Intelligence Institute, and the Science Museum.

The RDF officers also attended the second African Defence Ministers Conference, held under the theme "Glorious Past, Radiant Horizon," which brought together defence ministers and representatives from across the continent.

ALSO READ: Rwanda, Ethiopia sign 11 bilateral agreements

Rwanda and Ethiopia share longstanding diplomatic and defence ties anchored in broader south-south cooperation.

In 2017, the two countries signed 11 agreements spanning multiple sectors, including mutual legal assistance, communication and media, youth and sports, tourism, health, education, culture, gender, water resources management, and cooperation in prisons and correctional services.

The two countries have also maintained a Joint Permanent Commission (JPC) framework to monitor and expand cooperation. Previous agreements have covered strategic partnership in defence and security, aviation collaboration, trade and investment facilitation, and capacity building.

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