The United States has donated military vehicles to the Ethiopian National Defence Forces (ENDF) to strengthen its capabilities in the fight against al Shabaab in Somalia. The vehicles were donated to Ethiopia and comes with training that valued at $2.9 million in its effort to fight al Shabaab as well as domestic threats.
The equipment donated includes Toyota Land Cruisers, troop transports, ambulances, cargo and fuel trucks, water trailers, operations center computers, and night vision devices. The US and Ethiopia have a long-lasting military relationship and especially on the counterterrorism and peacekeeping arenas where there has been increased cooperation between the two nations.
Ethiopia has troops deployed to Somalia to fight the al Qaeda affiliate, al Shabaab active in the country and the military boost is welcome seeing as most AMISOM contingents have suffered numerous such attack, losing dozens of troops in a single attack. The donation will boost ENDF’s capability to fight and mount more successful CT operations.
