Myriad of Security Challenges in the Horn of Africa Jeopardizing Economic Progress
Abstract
This research paper is near and dear to me as it is a compilation of both my academic interests and personal experiences. I am currently active duty in the Navy and my job takes me to the far-flung corners of the world, including to East Africa. My experiences overseas have had a profound impression on me and sparked an academic interest which I pursue passionately. The people I met in East Africa were warm and welcoming and have left me with a desire to help them and their situation so that they may prosper. In my coursework in the SIS online master’s program, which I am concurrently pursuing alongside my duty deployments, I have had the opportunity to passionately relay the topics I was exposed to overseas to my SIS coursework. This paper is a conglomeration of firsthand experience in the region coupled with rigorous academic research. Africa is ripe for economic development and modernization. Knowledge of the continent and its diverse regions will help policymakers maximize its vast potential.
My paper delves into the ongoing security situation in the Horn of Africa and how it takes a toll on economic prosperity in the region. I looked at Ethiopia, Djibouti, Somalia, and Eritrea to assess how those countries are working towards stabilization both unilaterally and cooperatively. Individually, each nation has their own challenges they must tackle, but together they strive to eliminate the pirates and terror groups in the region. The main terror groups which operate in the area are al-Shabaab and a regional affiliate of ISIS. Both groups wreak havoc on the local populations and sow fear and division waging Jihad. They use fear as a weapon to submit the peoples of the region to their version of Islam. While these groups operate on land the seas are just as fraught with danger, as pirates sail the waters. Pirates interrupt trade routes, harming global trade and disrupting the security of the region. With trillions of dollars’ worth of goods passing through these seas these pirates can cause serious economic damage, making the waters around the Horn of vital importance for the health of global trade. Whether on land, or at sea, there are threats that challenge the security and prosperity of the region. This is really where my expertise lies, and it therefore makes up the bulk of my analysis.
The Horn of Africa is also a region the geostrategic competition for global influence between the United States and the Peoples Republic of China (PRC), as both countries have a substantial presence of civilian and military personnel. The Horn is an incredibly important region because it is highly consequential for future growth and prosperity. The issues these nations are dealing with also have further reaching implications beyond terrorists and pirates. Such issues include poverty, provincial independence movements.
My piece does not seek to solve every problem facing the Horn of Africa, but it does seek to illuminate the issues in the region and highlight their importance for global audiences. Many of the problems I discuss are complex, interconnected, and lack a single cookie cutter answer on how to enhance security and economic development in the region. But there is hope. For example, Somalian forces, in partnership with Ethiopia and Djibouti, in recent years has pushed back against al-Shabaab and pirate groups and gained stable territory under Federal control. Security issues and economic stagnation originating from the Horn have rippling effects that extend far beyond the region. These effects impact international trade, continental integration, and the global fight against terrorism. It is incumbent on policymakers worldwide to recognize these important interests and support African leaders in advancing the region’s progress.
