The Horn of Africa which is again in turmoil is the easternmost extension of Africa connecting the continent with Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean. The region comprises Eritrea, Ethiopia, Djibouti and Somalia. Other writers include Sudan, South Sudan, Kenya and Uganda as Greater Horn of Africa.
In terms of ecological and geological stratification, the region contrastingly includes the highest peaks of Ethiopia, the lowest place in the world in Afar Region and extensive coastline and semi-arid ecologies. The Horn has proved to the world that Africa is the origin of human species.
The region is one of the few places on the planet endowed with diverse and immense natural resources. The Horn is home to the world’s largest river, the Nile and 12 river basins in Ethiopia with more than 100 tributaries of the basins ultimately ending up in the Mediterranean Sea, the Indian Ocean while few remain in the region jutting into the sand dunes of eastern lowlands of the region.
Regrettably, with exception to the use of hydroelectric power and irrigation in Ethiopia, Sudan, Egypt and Somalia these huge water resources have remained underutilized flowing gently and sometimes with massive floods across the region.
No country in the region could effectively utilize these resources single handedly but only through cooperation in equitable utilization of the resources. The irony is the region has continued to suffer from recurring droughts and other natural calamities which results in acute food shortage year in and out.
Hundreds of lakes with fresh water fish could have been an excellent source of food for the region but on the average but according to OCHA sources but today close to 20 million Africans in the region remain in perennial hunger.
The Horn of Africa possesses untapped mineral resources including gold, platinum, cooper, iron, bauxite, diamond and one of the most strategic minerals like uranium and cobalt. The region has remained a raw material source for the industries of the advanced countries but still remained in poverty.
The European industrial revolution which started in the major industrial countries of the continent lacked raw materials for their industries and this ignited the infamous scramble for Africa after the Berlin Conference. The colonial forces divided the Horn among themselves with the hope of controlling the sources of the Nile, the Red Sea coast and international waterways in the region. This led to a competition that has never abated to date. For instance, the British, Italian, French divided the major part of the Horn including Somalia among themselves.
On the other hand, the major powers of the world have already been clustered in Djibouti with their leased ports and naval bases.
To add more agony into the already fragile situation in the Horn of Africa region, two levels of proxy wars, internal and external are already operating while some are already on plan. Apart from the proxy wars that are being conducted in the region, the countries of the Horn are already at loggerheads with each other paving the way for an all-round war in the region in which foreign powers may intrude uninvited and unexpected.
Some of these Horn of Africa countries are already busy destabilizing the region through the support they are being given by those who wish to contain and control the resources and the political orders in the region.
This entire situation presupposes the fact that the region, as observed for decades is easily prone to natural and manmade disaster which make it the most difficult place for people to live in. Yet it is the most strategically important in terms of geopolitics as well as rich in natural resources that can drive economic and social development.
Hence, it is up to the political leadership and the elites of the region to preempt the factors that are aggravating conflict and lack of trust among the countries and encourage cooperation and mutual benefit. They should carefully and responsibly analyze the factors and work strenuously to give durable solutions to them.
While cooperation in many sectors including peace and security is important Horn of Africa countries should play the leadership role and responsibility in seeking permanent solution to the problem in the region. As much as it has taken decades passing through various ups and downs, it is easy to guess that it has left a lot of lesson to them about how to handle it. Most of all it has made clear that they have to work with mutual understanding, tolerance and respect to the ultimate interest of the their respective people which is peace, democracy and development, among others.
BY SOLOMON DIBABA
THE ETHIOPIAN HERALD TUESDAY 17 SEPTEMBER 2024
