Mr. Abyssinia Abay Mengistu, Visiting Fellow, India-Africa Security Fellowship Programme, spoke on; “India’s Bilateral vs. Multilateral Defence Cooperation: Meeting Ethiopia’s Security Needs”  at MP-IDSA on 30 May 2025, Dr. Rajeesh Kumar, Centre Coordinator,  Africa, Latin America, Caribbean & UN (ALACUN) Centre, chaired the session. Centre members participated in the discussion.

Executive Summary:

Mr. Abyssinia Abay Mengistu’s presentation examined the evolving dynamics of India–Ethiopia defence cooperation, comparing bilateral mechanisms with multilateral frameworks such as AFINDEX. He highlighted Ethiopia’s critical security challenges, including escalating cyberattacks and border incursions, and assessed India’s strategic responses. The presentation outlined how India’s bilateral engagement marked by the 2025 MoU offers tailored solutions in cybersecurity, surveillance, and capacity-building, unlike the more generalized multilateral approaches. Mr. Mengistu stressed the operational and strategic value of bilateralism while acknowledging the complementary role of multilateral platforms. Overall, the presentation affirmed that India’s bilateral defence partnership with Ethiopia aligns closely with Ethiopia’s evolving security imperatives and enhances India’s credibility as a responsive and trusted partner.

Detailed Report:

The session commenced with opening remarks by Dr. Rajeesh Kumar, who welcomed the speaker and emphasised the growing importance of India’s security partnerships in Africa, particularly in the Horn of Africa. He noted Ethiopia’s strategic location, historical ties with India, and its pivotal role in regional security architecture. Dr. Kumar introduced the speaker and underscored the significance of examining defence cooperation frameworks that reflect Ethiopia’s evolving security needs.

Mr. Abyssinia Abay Mengistu began his presentation by expressing gratitude to MP-IDSA for the opportunity to conduct this research under the India–Africa Security Fellowship programme. He then outlined a comprehensive investigation into the comparative efficacy of India’s bilateral and multilateral defence engagements, with particular focus on the India–Ethiopia defence MoU and the Africa-India Field Training Exercise (AFINDEX).

The presentation provided an in-depth overview of Ethiopia’s changing security landscape. Mr. Mengistu highlighted that Ethiopia is among the most cyber-attacked countries globally, citing a dramatic rise in cyber incidents, including the geopolitical “Black Pyramid War” that targeted critical national infrastructure. He noted that only 25% of Ethiopia’s cyber workforce meets international standards, underscoring a critical capacity gap.

India’s bilateral value was particularly emphasised. Mr. Mengistu discussed how India’s tri-service Defence Cyber Agency, cyber emergency response teams, and specialized institutions such as Defence Information Assurance and Research Agency (DIARA) and the Defence Communication Network serve as strategic assets. He noted that the bilateral MoU signed in February 2025 grants Ethiopia access to these capabilities, enabling knowledge transfer and institutional collaboration that far outpace what multilateral exercises like AFINDEX currently offer.

Shifting focus to physical security threats, Mr. Mengistu analysed Ethiopia’s border insecurity, particularly in its western and southern regions. He referenced repeated cross-border incursions by armed militias using drones and light weapons, pointing to the Ethiopian state’s limited surveillance and response capacity. In this context, India’s experience with the Comprehensive Integrated Border Management System (CIBMS) and its operational knowledge from managing borders with Pakistan and China were presented as crucial advantages for Ethiopia under the bilateral agreement.

AFINDEX, while valuable for promoting multilateral interoperability, was critiqued for its narrow scope. Mr. Mengistu noted that its focus on peacekeeping and mine clearance does not adequately address Ethiopia’s contemporary threats, particularly in the cyber and drone warfare domains. As such, he argued that bilateralism offers a more responsive and tailored solution.

The presentation introduced a layered theoretical framework, juxtaposing realism and liberal institutionalism.  Mr. Mengistu argued that Ethiopia’s pursuit of cyber sovereignty and strategic autonomy aligns with realist imperatives, and India’s approach grounded in non-interference and mutual respect makes bilateralism more desirable.

In his concluding remarks, Mr. Mengistu laid out three key takeaways. First, India’s bilateral cooperation with Ethiopia offers higher operational value, especially in cyber defence and border management. Second, multilateral engagements like AFINDEX must evolve in scope to remain strategically relevant. Third, bilateralism and multilateralism are not mutually exclusive; rather, they must be balanced intelligently based on the security context.

Q&A Session

Following the presentation, a comprehensive round of feedback was given by the scholars of the ALACUN Centre, MP-IDSA. One of the central points raised was the need to articulate more clearly the rationale behind selecting Ethiopia as the case study. Mr. Mohan underlined that Ethiopia’s strategic relevance must be explicitly anchored in its geopolitical and security significance.

Mr. Mohan also recommended expanding the theoretical framework beyond the realist–liberal dichotomy, which he noted was insufficient to capture the complexities of India–Ethiopia security cooperation. He suggested to incorporate, relational security perspective and the concept of security assemblages. These frameworks provide a more nuanced understanding of defence cooperation, not merely as intergovernmental exchanges but as dynamic networks involving institutions, technologies, policy norms, and training ecosystems. Within this context, India’s engagement with Ethiopia will be seen as a co-constructed process that evolves through shared learning and capacity-building, rather than a top-down transfer of expertise.

Dr. Abhishek Mishra commended the depth and timeliness of the study and called for a stronger historical contextualisation of India’s defence engagement with Africa. He suggested tracing the evolution from India’s early military training initiatives and UN peacekeeping contributions to its more recent emphasis on bilateral partnerships. Dr. Mishra proposed a dedicated section titled “Why 2025?” to explain the timing of the India–Ethiopia defence MoU, situating it within Ethiopia’s post-Tigray recalibration and India’s shifting strategic posture. He also advised that India’s multilateral engagements, particularly AFINDEX, be situated within a broader timeline of India–Africa security cooperation, incorporating reference points such as FOCAC and AU–EU partnerships.

To enhance the empirical grounding of the paper, Dr. Mishra urged the inclusion of official communications, diplomatic exchanges, and press releases between India and Ethiopia especially those involving the Joint Commission and recent defence dialogues. In addition, he recommended a comparative analysis of India’s engagement vis-à-vis other actors, especially China, whose presence in Ethiopia spans critical sectors like cybersecurity, surveillance, and defence industrial development.

Dr. Saurabh Mishra offered detailed structural and analytical recommendations. He proposed reorganising the paper around Ethiopia’s three primary security concerns: cybersecurity and digital resilience, border security and drone threats, and gaps in defence industrial development. These themes, he noted, would allow for a more focused comparison of the effectiveness of bilateral and multilateral approaches specifically India’s bilateral MoU and the AFINDEX framework.

Dr. Mishra emphasised the need to explore Ethiopia’s strategic intent in seeking defence partnerships, including the expected outcomes and long-term goals. He advised reframing the research question to focus on the conditions under which bilateralism provides better alignment with Ethiopia’s needs, moving beyond a simplistic binary of bilateral versus multilateral engagement. Finally, he called for the addition of a comparative sub-section analysing China’s evolving security role in Ethiopia especially through its work with Huawei, China Electronics Technology Group Corporation and AI-driven surveillance and drone technologies to contextualise India’s position within a broader geopolitical competition.

Dr. Rajeesh Kumar offered macro-level guidance on situating the paper within the broader framework of India’s Africa strategy. He recommended anchoring the discussion in key developments such as the India–Africa Forum Summits (2008, 2015, 2023), the SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) initiative, and India’s defence diplomacy through its ITEC (Indian Technical and Economic Cooperation Programme), naval deployments, and training missions. He suggested that the India–Ethiopia partnership be portrayed not as an isolated bilateral engagement but as part of a coherent, values-driven strategy that emphasises non-interference, inclusivity, and capacity-building.

Additionally, Dr. Kumar encouraged a brief, but critical overview of other international actors involved in Ethiopia’s security landscape including China (via Belt and Road Initiative and People’s Liberation Army partnerships), Turkey (notably in Unmanned Aerial Vehicle sales and policing support), the United Arab Emirates and the United States (via cyber training and military presence in Djibouti). Within this crowded strategic field, India’s approach should be presented as a sovereign-friendly, development-oriented alternative that complements rather than competes with existing partnerships.

Following the detailed feedback session, Mr. Abyssinia Abay Mengistu expressed his heartfelt gratitude to all the discussants for their thoughtful comments, constructive suggestions, and critical insights. He acknowledged the value of the discussion in enriching his ongoing research and affirmed his commitment to revising the paper in line with the recommendations received. Mr. Mengistu noted that the perspectives shared would significantly enhance the analytical depth, empirical grounding, and policy relevance of his work.

As the session concluded, members of the Africa, Latin America, Caribbean & UN (ALACUN) Centre at MP-IDSA extended their best wishes to Mr. Mengistu on the successful completion of his fellowship tenure. The team warmly bid him farewell, commending his contributions during his time at the Institute and wishing him continued success in his future academic and professional pursuits.

The report has been prepared by Mr. Mohanasakthivel J., Research Analyst, MP-IDSA.