The Horn of Africa: Some Explanations for Poverty and Conflicts

Abstract

The term “Horn of Africa” is not only a geographical expression but it is rather
a geopolitical concept. The Horn of Africa proper consists of Ethiopia, Eritrea,
Djibouti, Somalia, the Sudan and South Sudan. Stretchily, it also encompasses
Kenya and Uganda. Some are convinced that the nations of the Horn of Africa
are endowed with a dynamic, youthful and entrepreneurial population and an
abundance of natural resources. Yet, for too many years, peoples of this region
have been suffering from hunger, conflicts, poverty and growing inequalities
and instabilities. The twin problems of poverty and conflict have various and
complex causes that could be put under categories such as domestic/national,
regional and international causes. Methodologically, this paper is based on the
analysis of secondary sources. Unlike most previous works, this article analyzes,
in a quasi-comparative approach, the domestic, regional and international
factors responsible for the region’s poverty and conflicts.