The Horn of Africa: Chronic Unresolved Dilemmas

The Horn of Africa, an expansive and strategically significant region, includes not only Somalia, Ethiopia, Djibouti, and Eritrea but also extends to encompass Kenya, Sudan, South Sudan, and Uganda. This broader East African corridor commands control over the Nile’s sources and the critical maritime gateways of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

Historically, Sudan has played a pivotal role in ensuring security and stability across this vital region. Sudan’s influence has been instrumental in brokering peace in South Sudan, mediating disputes between Ethiopia and Eritrea, balancing complex water-related conflicts, and making notable contributions to counter-terrorism efforts. As a founding member of the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) and a key participant in the African Union (AU), Sudan has significantly contributed to fostering peace and security in the Horn of Africa.

The Horn of Africa’s nations are deeply interconnected, with intrastate conflicts often transcending national borders. Conflicts within one country tend to escalate swiftly, sometimes spiraling into regional crises or interstate tensions. Security concerns across these states are so intertwined that isolating one country’s security issues from another is impractical. Despite this interconnectedness, states in the region remain fragmented, focusing narrowly on national interests rather than the collective security of the Horn of Africa. This approach, while yielding short-term gains, risks long-term instability, perpetuating cycles of recurring conflict that impact the entire region. The recent incursion by the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) militia serves as a stark example. Despite clear indications that this invasion would spill over into the region, some neighboring countries have continued supporting the RSF—a transnational militia that threatens to destabilize the Horn of Africa if it gains control in Sudan.

External involvement in the Horn of Africa is not new. For centuries, global powers, along with regional state and non-state actors, have vied for influence in the region, recognizing its strategic importance. While such involvement has driven economic development in recent years, it has also reinforced political instability. Foreign power competition, coupled with local actors exploiting these rivalries, has kept the Horn in a state of endemic unrest.

Addressing the security challenges in the Horn of Africa requires a unified, cross-border approach that prioritizes collective regional security. Only through coordinated efforts that transcend national interests can the Horn of Africa hope to secure lasting peace and stability.