The Horn of Africa is located on a fault-line between two distinctly different strategies and philosophies for peace and security: the multilateral norms, principles and institutions that have been developed in Africa over the last 25 years, and the transactional politics of money and force of the Gulf monarchies. Today, the African peace and security architecture is jeopardized by the encroachment of the political marketplace of the Arabian Peninsular.
This report examines the peace and security challenges facing the Horn of Africa in the context of assertive military and political engagement from the Arabian Peninsular. It provides a historical overview of the politics of the Red Sea and Middle Eastern policies towards north-east Africa, before turning to the current dynamic, driven by Saudi and Emirati military strategies for their war in Yemen, economic interests in agriculture, water and ports, and the repercussions of the rivalries between the Saudi-Emirati coalition and the Turkey-Qatar axis for the stability of the Horn. As the center of gravity for peace and security decision making for the Horn appears to be shifting from African multilateral institutions to Arab capitals, the paper asks how Africa can sustain the norms, principles and institutions of the Pax Africana?
