The Horn of Africa is strategically important due to its location near vital maritime routes, including the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. This region hosts several foreign military bases, primarily driven by interests in securing trade routes, countering piracy, and addressing terrorism.
Djibouti is the main hotspot for foreign military bases due to its proximity to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait and relative political stability. Major foreign powers with military bases in Djibouti include: followed by United States Camp Lemonnier which is the largest U.S. military base in Africa, serving as the primary hub for counterterrorism operations and for ensuring US political and economic interest across the Horn of Africa and beyond, particularly in Somalia and Yemen. France uses her base in Djibouti for various operations in Africa and the Indian Ocean. In 2017, China established its first overseas military base in Djibouti. This base is vital for China’s military operations in the Indian Ocean, supporting peacekeeping missions, and securing its economic interests. Japan maintains a base in Djibouti, primarily focused on anti-piracy missions in the Gulf of Aden. Italy has a smaller base in Djibouti, also focused on counter-piracy and stabilization missions in the region. Germany maintains a small logistical base in Djibouti to support its naval operations and involvement in multinational missions. Colonialism is at the grip of the Horn in a more devastating and cunning manner.
Turkey established its largest overseas military base in Mogadishu in 2017. The Turkish military trains Somali forces and plays a significant role in securing the region from extremist groups like Al-Shabaab. The UAE previously had a military training base in Somalia but shifted its operations to Eritrea and Somaliland after tensions with the Somali government. The UAE’s presence is focused on counterterrorism and maritime security.
The constellation of military bases on the Horn of Africa provides a stronger leverage for the political and economic influence of the western powers on the Horn of Africa decapitating the unity among the countries by replacing united integration by bilateral relations with these powers thus preventing free socio-economic relations that would benefit the population in the Horn of Africa. Although the countries of the Horn are apparently free political entities, they still languish under the neocolonial influence and diktat from foreign powers who effectively use them to assert their national interests.
As a crossroads, the Horn of Africa is characterized by a diversity of ethnic groups, religions, and cultures. Since the wave of Western colonialism, the countries of the Horn of Africa have been embroiled in internal conflicts, and Ethiopia, the Sudan, South Sudan, and Somalia have long failed to resolve their communal conflicts. Previous studies have described the outbreak of conflicts or civil wars in terms of competition for resources, ethnic identity, and colonial legacy. The civil conflicts in the four countries in the Horn of Africa are a typical case of heterogeneity.
The US has continued to provide massive military support to Egypt, Kenya, Djibouti as the most favored partners to accomplish her interest in the Horn of Africa. The US is planning to send troops to Somalia under the guise of supporting Somali forces to fight Al-Shababa which is already regaining its lost territories in Somalia while Russia intends to open up a huge base in Ras Dumiera. At no point in time did the situation in the Horn of Africa have become a possible arena of total regional war. The war that is plaguing the Middle East is almost certainly being transferred to the Horn of Africa making the region an epicenter of Armageddon.
Some leaders of the countries of the Horn are ruling their nations not to ensure the development and well-being of their citizens but to ensure that the national interests of foreign powers partnering with them are best served. The leaders are interested to extend their terms in power and are busy triggering conflicts among the countries in the region. Corruption, illicit trade, contraband, human and arms trafficking, acute food shortage and drought is not being properly addressed by these leaders who compromise the national interest of the countries they claim to govern only to meet the interest of their former colonial powers.
Instead of fostering economic cooperation and integration leaders of these countries are busy triggering conflicts in the region and inviting foreign powers who pose as guardians of peace under the pretext of combating terrorism. Some of the countries being provided by military hardware are trying to exploit ethnic conflicts in the region for their own political motives and to serve the interest of foreign powers that compete among themselves for the control of the Red Sea and outlet to the Gulf of Aden and Bab el Mendeb.
Peace in the Horn of Africa is the most important prerequisite for the socio-economic development of the countries but competition among foreign powers and the desire on the part of the leaders of the Horn has become a major obstacle to the economic development in the region.
Over the last six years, despite the internal and external conspiracies that the nation has to sustain, Ethiopia has been working hard to promote economic integration in the Horn of Africa by supplying hydroelectric power to Djibouti, Kenya, Sudan South Sudan as part of the power integration for industries in the region. Ethiopia is striving to have access to ports in the region not only to boost her economic development but also to promote economic integration in the region through trade, promotion of peaceful development and resource sharing.
The regional instrument meant to foster peace and stability in the Horn of Africa, IGAD lacks the capacity not only to ensure effective peace in the region but also to develop integrated economic development program in which countries of the Horn can participate by pulling together resources. Unfortunately the countries in the region are far from being ready for economic cooperation and development. The truth is no country in the region can develop by itself unless it acts in partnership with countries in the region.
Indeed, the current volatile situation in the region can only help to multiply the agony of the population in the region and force them to remain in a vicious circle of abject poverty.
Editor’s Note: The views entertained in this article do not necessarily reflect the stance of The Ethiopian Herald
BY SOLOMON DIBABA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD SUNDAY EDITION 15 SEPTEMBER 2024
