The Horn of Africa : Intra-State and Inter-State Conflicts and Security

Abstract

The Horn of Africa, comprising Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Sudan and Somalia, is the most conflict-ridden region in Africa. This book explores the origins and impact of these conflicts at both an intra-state and inter-state level and the insecurity they create. The contributors show how regional and international interventions have compounded pre-existing tensions and have been driven by competing national interests linked to Western intervention and acts of piracy off the coast of Somalia. This book outlines proposals for multidimensional mechanisms for conflict resolution in the region. Issues of border demarcation, democratic deficit, crises of nation and state building, and the roles of political actors and traditional authorities are all clearly analysed.

<p>Contents: Part I. Causes of Conflicts -- 1. Introduction / Redie Bereketeab -- 2. Poverty, Inequality, State Identity and Chronic Inter-state Conflicts in the Horn of Africa / Kidane Mengisteab -- 3. Leadership in the Horn of Africa: The Emic/Etic Perspective / Hassan Mahadallah -- Part II. Conflict Dynamics -- 4. Conflicts in the Horn of Africa and Implications for Regional Security / Kassahun Berhanu -- 5. Border Changes: North Sudan, South Sudan and Regional Dynamics / Abdalbasit Saeed -- 6. Political Violence in the Horn of Africa: A Framework for Analysis / Seifudein Adem -- Part III. Regional and International Interventions -- 7. IGAD and Regional Relations in the Horn of Africa / Peter Woodward -- The Horn of Africa -- 8. The Production of Somali Conflict and the Role of Internal and External Actors / Abdi Ismail Samatar -- 9. Militia and Piracy in the Horn of Africa: External Responses / Bjørn Møller</p>