This document provides an overview of a course on conflict in the Horn of Africa. The course will focus on intra-state and inter-state conflicts in the region, as well as factors undermining human security. It will introduce students to conflicts in the Horn of Africa, investigate economic and environmental issues, and motivate students to think about the root causes of recurring conflicts and disasters. Students will complete individual and group assignments as well as a final exam. The document then provides context on the Horn of Africa region by outlining its geography, history of states and colonialism, and ongoing post-independence issues.

1. Conflict in the Horn of Africa
PeCs 5022

2. Focus of the course
Two important focus areas:
• Intra-state and inter-state conflicts in the Horn of
Africa
• Factors that undermine human security in the
region

3. Objectives of the Course
• Introduce students with intra and interstate
conflict in the region
• Investigate the economic and environmental
factors that undermine human security in the
region
• Motivate students to think and rethink about
the very factors that keep the horn of Africa in
a constant state of disaster and conflict.

4. Requirements of the Course
• One individual paper
• One group country study and presentation
• Final exam

5. I. Introduction: Land and the People
of the Horn of Africa
• Horn of Africa as a region

8. • What are the marks that identify a
subsystem as a region?
• Mohammed Ayoob (1996: 59), identifies
the following attributes,
• Geographic proximity,
• Regularity and intensity of interaction
between actors

9. • Internal and external recognition of a
group of states as a distinctive area’ -
consisting of two or more countries.
• Countries in the horn of Africa

10. Delineating the Horn of Africa
• What does the horn of Africa stand for?
• Which of the countries’ in the north east
Africa are part of the horn of Africa?
• Why is it called the horn of Africa?

11. • There is no agreement on what exactly
what it is
• HOA is not an indigenous term.
• Springs from a glance at the map rather
than any perception of the inhabitants of
NEA.

12. Conceptualization of the HOA
There are three ways of conceptualization.
1. The core Horn
2. Extended horn
3. Greater horn of Africa

13. 1. The core Horn
• According to Herui (2007: 77), the term
‘Horn of Africa’ was first used to denote
Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti.
• These countries are refereed as core horn
states

15. 2. Extended Horn
• Other authors include Sudan, South
Sudan, and Yemen, as part of the horn of
Africa.
• The influence of other countries such as
Egypt and Libya.

17. 3. Greater Horn of Africa
• This conceptualization include all Member
states of the regional organization, IGAD
including Kenya and Uganda.
• Member states of IGAD, namely, Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan, South
Sudan, Kenya and Uganda.

19. The HoA for this Course
• The horn of Africa is understood as a
geopolitical region consisting of Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Somalia, Djibouti, Sudan, and
South Sudan.
• Other countries Yemen, Egypt and Libya
are also involved in the region
• Kenya

20. Geography of the Horn of Africa
• Bounded by the red sea in the east
• Indian ocean in the south east
• Egypt in the north

21. Geography
• Nile Valley
• Highlands, Ethiopian highlands
• Plains in Somalia and Sudan, rain-watered
and non watered – encouraged
pastoralism
• Much of the areas of the horn of Africa is
inhospitable (Markakis)
• Mobility and Migration as a way of life

23. According to Peter Woodward(2003),
• The Nile
• The red sea
• The gulf Aden has exposed the region to
external influence

24. The people of the horn of Africa
Economic mode of production
• agriculturalist
• Pastoralists
Religion
 Christians
 Muslims
 Animists/ traditional religion

26. Pre-colonial and colonial history
There were pre-colonial states in the region
The rise and fall of states was a key feature
of the region
• Menroe
• Axum
• Nubia
• Kush

27. The Imperial Era
• Three colonial powers
A. Italy
B. Britain and
C. France

28. • Italy was the first to arrive in 1869, took
Eritrea, Ethiopia and Somalia
• Britain took Somaliland (1887) and Sudan
• France, French Somaliland (1885)
• Ethiopia also participated in the carving of
territories
• IMPACT OF THE COLONIAL Legacy
Division(Markakis)

29. Post-colonial History
• As a result of Second World War, Italy lost
all of Its colonial possession in eastern
Africa.
• Sovereignty was restored to the Ethiopian
crown in 1941
• Eritrea become a British protectorate for
10 years
• Somalia become an Italian trusteeship for
10 years

30. • Sudan become independent in 1956 from
Britain
• Somalia become independent in 1960
• Djibouti became independent in 1977.

31. The post-independence period
The region has passed through the following
developments,
• Neo-colonialism
• Political repression and dictatorship
• Cold war rivalry
• Interstate and intrastate wars
• Drought and famine of biblical proportions