MAAG Ethiopia

The Military Assistance Advisory Group (MAAG) Ethiopia was established by the United States in 1953 to provide military aid, training, and advisory support to the Ethiopian armed forces. Its creation followed the signing of a Mutual Defense Assistance Agreement between the United States and Emperor Haile Selassie’s government, aiming to modernize Ethiopia’s military and strengthen its position in the Horn of Africa during the Cold War. MAAG personnel assisted in reorganizing Ethiopian military structures, introducing new equipment, and conducting extensive training programs. The mission continued until the mid-1970s, when the Derg regime shifted Ethiopia’s alliances toward the Soviet Union, leading to the closure of MAAG operations in the country.