US Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke by phone with Ethiopian Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed on Wednesday to discuss regional stability and strengthening long-term security cooperation.
A State Department statement said the two sides discussed “joint cooperation on regional stability, counterterrorism, economic development, and building a strong and sustainable security foundation for the Horn of Africa.”
The statement, signed by Deputy Spokesperson for the State Department Tommy Pigott, said the discussions focused on US-Ethiopia cooperation on regional priorities, particularly stability and security in the Horn of Africa.
However, the statement was brief and did not provide further details on specific actions or agreements reached by the two sides during their talks. The call follows a similar conversation between the two leaders in early December 2025, which also focused on regional security cooperation.
At the time, a report by the Addis Standard newspaper indicated that the diplomatic conversation was unusual, as it did not address Ethiopia’s domestic issues such as the political situation, humanitarian issues or governance—which are usually discussed in formal negotiations between the United States and Ethiopia.
Meanwhile, the new conversation comes on the heels of a visit to the region by the new commander of the US Africa Command (AFRICOM), Dagvin Anderson, who traveled to Ethiopia, Somaliland and Puntland.
AFRICOM said the visit was aimed at strengthening US efforts to counter extremist groups such as ISIS and Al-Shabaab, while expanding security cooperation with countries in the region.
These visits and discussions demonstrate that Washington is strengthening its efforts to counter terrorism and promote overall stability in the Horn of Africa, at a time when the region faces growing security and political challenges.
