The horn of africa at the brink of the 21st century. Over the past 20 years, the lack of a functioning government in somalia has been both the cause and effect of protracted conflict. Terrorist networks have already been established in the horn and along the eastern coast of africa. Introduction the purpose of this paper1 is to explore the relationship between national interests and regional cooperation in the greater horn of africa ghoa a region which includes a range of states with ethiopia, eritrea, kenya, somalia, south sudan, sudan, tanzania and. Accordingly, this paper attempted to identify and critically analyze the due. The horn of africa is one of the most fragile crisis regions in the world, and close observers have not hesitated to proliferate ideas of what the major sources of conflictidentity faultlines, resource, poverty, super power rivalry, porous borders, among others. Of these possible approaches, which policies are more likely to lead to more desirable outcomes as opposed to terrorist success or transition to other forms of illegality. Mapping regional security in the greater horn of africa 4 1. The greater horn of africa thrusts itself toward yemen and hence the heart of arabia and the persianarab gulf. The root causes of conflicts in the horn of africa science.
Africas response to terrorism an aai symposium february 17, 2006 summary this halfday symposium was organized by the africaamerica institute in collaboration with the office of united nations undersecretarygeneral for political affairs, ibrahim gambari. The horn of africa is also the place where the haplogroup e1b1b originated. The bombings of the american embassies in kenya and tanzania in 1998, and the attacks on an. Mapping regional security in the greater horn of africa. Coping with fragmentation, isolation and marginalization in a globalizing environment. The conflict in somalia has gained a position in the worlds top 10 countries for terrorist attacks, with alshabaab becoming africa s most prominent terrorist group. Horn of africa cjtfhoa in attempting to win hearts and minds and build. While terrorism is a global phenomenon, africa seems to bear the greatest brunt of it, largely due to limited military resources and ongoing economic deprivation, which has lured many young people. The horn of africa is a region heavily impacted by wars and conflicts. Recommendations for humanitarian action and resilience response october to december 2016. Similarly, bleak prospects for a political solution to the conflict in yemen, now ongoing for one year, will continue to impact the horn of africa region. Gulf states are competing for influence in the horn of africa to control the red sea, transposing internal rivalries onto a fragile region. Following the 911 attacks against the united states, the horn has come under increased scrutiny as a strategic focal point in the war against terrorism. What will president donald trumps policy towards the horn of africa region look like.
What you need to know about terrorism in east africa. Reprinted by permission of westview press, a member of perseus books group. The horn of africa consists of somalia, ethiopia, djibouti, and eritrea. Summary for over a decade, the united states has considered the horn of africa kenya, ethiopia, djibouti, somalia, eritrea, and sudana major source of terrorism. Conflict in the horn of africa the heritage foundation. Summary for over a decade, the united states has considered the horn of africakenya, ethiopia, djibouti, somalia, eritrea, and sudana major source of terrorism.
Survival christopher clapham is without doubt one of the most knowledgeable experts on the horn of africa in the world, and this is a mustread book for anyone working in or on the region. Horn of africa call for grant applications institutional. In an effort to continue to put some context to this war against terrorism, were holding a second. The horn of africa and yemen brookings institution. Reprinted by permission of westview press, a member of. The horn of africa its strategic importance for europe, the. Avoiding conflict in the horn of africa council on foreign relations. This book offers authoritative insight into the struggle against terrorism in the horn what has been done and what work remains.
The meeting was organized by the institutes research and studies program as a halfday forum for leading specialists on terrorism, the horn of africa, and american foreign policy toward africa. What you need to know about terrorism in east africa us news. The horn of africa its strategic importance for europe, the gulf states, and beyond login subscribe now download pdf. There are three kinds of terrorism in east africa kenya, uganda and tanzania. Chairman payne, ranking member smith, and members of the subcommittee, let me first express my. Policy testimony by ted dagne, congressional research service before the subcommittee on africa and global health, house foreign affairs committee june 17, 2010, washington, d. Terrorism in africa the decision by the pentagon to create a separate africa command is the clearest indication that the us military and other branches of the us government view subsaharan africa as a growing islamic terrorist threat. Mar 02, 2015 the horn of africa hoa has been mentioned as one of the most disputed regions of the globe. The horn of africa includes the nations of djibouti, eritrea, ethiopia and somalia.
Each of the countries in the horn ethiopia, somalia, eritrea, and djibouti, has water scarcity issues. Terrorism as a manifestation of conflict could be a historically persistent phenomena with roots in the past. Sudan, and ugandais a region of strategic importance. The horn of africa has gained notoriety as a breeding ground for violent extremism. According to linguists, the horn of africa is the proposed original homeland of the protoafroasiatic language as it is considered the region the afroasiatic languages family displays the greatest diversity, a sign often viewed to represent a geographic origin. Oct 26, 2016 regional outlook for the horn of africa and great lakes region. This is the most devastating famine in the last sixty years. Terrorism in the horn of africa united states institute. The horn has constantly posed a serious challenge for u.
From south asia to south america, terrorist groups are on the rise. Within the complex region of northeastern africa that extends from the peaks of kilimanjaro to the depression of djibouti and from the deserts of chad to the red sea and on southward, past cape guardafui, to the barren coastline of punt, there are 149 million people, more than half. Successfully depicts the horn of africa as much more than the disaster zone it is widely perceived to be. A human security strategy for the european union in the horn. It argues for stronger coordination between national, regional and international. Conflict and state security in the horn of africa 43 1981 to resist authoritarianism and brutality against the deprived people. The greater horn of africaincluding djibouti, eritrea, ethiopia, kenya, somalia. The horn of africa region has been an area of keen strategic interest to the united states for decades. Regional outlook for the horn of africa and great lakes. One of the most dangerous regions is the greater horn of africa along with yemen, its volatile neighbor.
A map showing the four countries of the horn of africa. Conflicts in the horn of africa have been occurring since the 17th century bce. Incident background since the beginning of october 2016, several serious incidents against commercial and military vessels have occurred in. While the population of the horn of africa has doubled since the 1970s, food production and levels of community resilience have not kept up with that growth.
Challenges, threats and canadian interests friday, october 26, 2012 balsillie school of international affairs bsia, boardroom room 123 presented by. Horn governments should increase their bargaining power with their powerful neighbours, who should recognise the risks their policies pose to regional security. Alexander rondos is the european union special representative for the horn of africa and was an ambassador of greece. Economic drivers of conflict and cooperation in the horn of africa. The root causes of conflicts in the horn of africa. A human security strategy for the european union in the. Given the geopolitical environment in the horn of africa, what policy leversapproaches to influencing violent extremist organization are possible. For over a decade, the united states has considered the horn of africakenya, ethiopia.
The horn of africa hoa has been mentioned as one of the most disputed regions of the globe. It has been experienced with a number of armed conflicts, ethnolinguistic disputes, religious radicalism where in it catches the attention of most developed nations including us for their strategic interest over the region. Terrorist threat in horn of africa senior defense official department of defense background briefing briefing room, the pentagon, arlington, virginia march 8, 2002. The horn of africa project brings country and regionspecific knowledge to the analysis of the regions evolving politics, conflict situations and international relations. However, humans have inhabited the horn of africa for thousands of years some evidence dates. Terrorism in the horn of africa united states institute of peace. This decision was driven in the main by the realisation that. Africas response to terrorism the africaamerica institute. Apr 01, 2004 terrorist networks have already been established in the horn and along the eastern coast of africa. Although the rise of alshabaab and the recurrent terrorist attacks in somalia and kenya have dominated news headlines and international counterterrorist efforts, other countries in the region have been and continue to be affected by extreme forms of violence. Terrorism, war and conflict, an analysis into the horn of africa. Terrorism, war and conflict, an analysis into the horn of. Djibouti, eritrea and sudan form a regional system in which conflict within any one of the countries, and.
Pdf battling terrorism in the horn of africa, edited by. Combined joint task forcehorn of africa cjtfhoa and its efforts to win hearts and. Water woes in the horn of africa murali pai countryside by a river. The terrorist threat in africa council on foreign relations. This chapter examines the causes and consequences of terrorism in africa, and considers the extent to which existing evidence rationalizes the various explanations for it, and its implications for counterterrorism policy in africa. What are the successes and failures of the obama administrations strategy towards the region. Invasion of ancient egypt by the kingdom of kush and the land of punt 17th century bc.
Dias and others published battling terrorism in the horn of africa, edited by robert i. Map 2 drought prone areas in the greater horn of africa. Regional outlook for the horn of africa and great lakes region. The new external security politics of the horn of africa region sipri. The horn of africa is a cradle of ancient civilizations, rich biodiversity and singular water woes. The countries of the horn of africa ethiopia, somalia. Today, we know the countries of the horn of africa as djibouti, ethiopia, eritrea, and somalia. Critical factors in the horn of africas raging conflicts. This essay examines the impact of counter terrorism on security in the horn of africa. Prospects for building regional economic cooperation in the horn. Causes and consequences of terrorism in africa oxford. Rotbergus foreign policy and the horn of africa, by peter woodward.
Epidemics of visceral leishmaniasis occur in southern and. Well, first of all, i want to thank you for coming this afternoon. The failure of the opposition to fill the power vacuum left behind by siad barre after his flight into exile in 1991 marked the beginning of disintegration of somalia. Djibouti, somalia, eritrea, and sudana major source of terrorism. In may 2003, the kenyan government admitted that a key member of the al. Water issues in the horn of africa society for conservation. In the postcolonial era, from the late 1950s to the present, the region has experienced several devastating interstate wars, including the ethiopiansomali wars 1964, 197778, 20069, the kenyansomali war 1963, the ugandantanzanian war 197879 and the ethiopianeritrean border war 19982000. Jul 24, 2018 the horn of africa is a peninsula in northeast africa. The project produces original research that informs decisionmaking on the horn of africa, targeting a network of policymakers working both within and outside the region. It has arguably been the most conflicted corner of the world since the end of world war ii.
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