The Horn of Africa / Global Political Hot Spots (PDF)

The Horn of Africa is a deeply troubled region engulfed in threeinterlocking crises. The first is a security crisis characterizedby a range of devastating inter-state and inter-communal conflicts,including civil wars. The second is an economic crisis, evidencedby widespread debilitating poverty, chronic food insecurity, andfrequent cycles of famines. The effects of the third -environmental - crisis are all too visible in the droughts,deforestation and desertification ravaging the region. What ismore, these three crises are mutually reinforcing locking theregion into a cycle of disaster. Conflicts contribute to poverty,which in turn intensifies environmental degradation, leading toscarcities which fuel further conflicts. In this clear and authoritative guide, Kidane Mengisteab exploresthe key drivers of instability in the Horn of Africa, suggestingstructural and institutional changes that - if implemented - couldhelp lift the region out of crisis. The Horn's complex crisesmust be tackled in a comprehensive manner. But, he contends, thiscan only be achieved if the causes of conflict are addressedhead-on. Without peace, the region cannot resolve its economicproblems, and nor can it develop the capabilities required to copewith environmental change. The Horn of Africa will be essential reading for students andscholars in conflict and security studies, as well as anyone withan interest in learning more about the dynamics of this troubledregion