The Political Crisis in the Horn of Africa and its Wider Political Ramifications

About this course:

The Horn of Africa, which comprises Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Sudan, has significant strategic importance and is the most conflicted part of Africa. In this course, we focus on the dynamics of these countries’ domestic conflicts and how they become regionalized or internationalized. We also discuss the escalating political tension between Ethiopia and its neighbors; potentially destabilizing not just Africa’s Horn but disrupting around one-third of the global trade which passes through the Red Sea. Europe, Asia and the Persian Gulf countries are interconnected by this narrow sea lane which transports more than half-a-trillion dollars’ worth of goods. Its chokepoints are located on the coasts of Eritrea, Djibouti, Somalia and Yemen, on the other side of the water. It would be naïve to believe that other states, especially Yemen and oil-rich Saudi Arabia, which occupy the eastern shores of the Red Sea, would not intervene when a major war unfolds on their doorsteps. This course will be recorded. Students will have access to videos for the duration of the course.