When the powers of the Middle East export their rivalries to the Horn of Africa
Located in the east of the African continent, the Horn of Africa, which includes Ethiopia, Eritrea, Somalia and Djibouti, is today the scene of considerable challenges, both for the traditional powers and for regional powers. In the past, the main emphasis was on the rivalry of the “great powers” in this region, in particular that of China and the United States, but today the Horn of Africa has become a crucial battleground for new competing regional players. Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Qatar, Iran and Egypt are the main regional players defending their interests in the Horn of Africa.
By Selcan Karabektas | Beyond the Horizon International Strategic Studies Group (BtH) | Apr 25, 2022
Two contemporary factors can be highlighted to highlight the importance of a region that attracts economic and military investment from emerging economies. The first factor is geographical and stems from the fact that the Horn borders the Gulf of Aden and the Strait of Bab el-Mendeb, one of the most important maritime routes in the world.
The strategic importance of this strait is indeed crucial, as most of the commercial activities between the markets of Asia, the Middle East and Europe take this route. More than 10% of the world’s sea freight passes through it each year, including the majority of Asian trade with Europe. For strategic reasons, many countries therefore want to strengthen their presence in this region. Moreover, the second factor, which makes the Horn of Africa so important, is that the region is considered one of the main gateways to the African market by Asian and Middle Eastern countries.
The proliferation of military bases in the Horn of Africa
Recent years have been marked by the race to build military bases by the various traditional and regional powers, which intend to take advantage of the geostrategic assets of the region, both for economic and military reasons. It is especially on Djibouti, which seeks to become a real regional strategic hub, and which is considered as the gateway to East Africa, that the States have concentrated to mark their military presence. This state hosts six military bases, which are those of the United States, Japan (its only military base outside its territory), Italy, China, Saudi Arabia and France (its military base most important abroad). In fact, Djibouti is the country that currently has the largest number of military installations in the world. The growing number of foreign military bases and the constant presence of soldiers of various nationalities in the countries of the Horn of Africa, in particular in Djibouti, underline the regional security, economic and geopolitical importance of the Strait of Bab el-Mandeb. Eritrea, for its part, hosts military bases from Russia and the United Arab Emirates. Somalia is also home to a Turkish military base, while the Emirates’ second base is in Somaliland, a region that seceded from Somalia. The United Arab Emirates, which has invested heavily in ports in the region (notably in Djibouti, Puntland and Somaliland), opened a base in Eritrea in 2015, and recently signed an agreement with Somaliland. Russia now plans to establish a second base in Sudan. The commercial scale of these establishments is important especially for the fragile economies of the countries of the region, but this could have lasting consequences for the stability and security of the Horn of Africa. In addition, the presence of foreign forces and their activities in the region pose a threat to the internal security of the countries of the Horn, which are fighting against extremist groups such as al-Shabaab, Boko Haram and terrorist groups in the Sahel.
The struggle for geopolitical influence between regional powers in the Horn of Africa
The American and European presence takes a back seat
Beyond the Horizon International Strategic Studies Group (BtH) is an independent next-generation think & do tank in Belgium.
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