Key Security Challenges in the ‘Horn of Africa’ and Pragmatic Peace Building Strategy Theories for Remedies

Abstract

The ‘Horn of Africa’ that broadly represents the state of Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Somalia, South-Sudan and Sudan is characterized by  pluralism in terms of ethnic and religious lines. The region is typically marked by a history of common problems such as political  instability and anarchism filled with insecurity, repression, violence and human rights violation. It is also an area of the world whose  strategic location has driven it into the international arena as a potential crisis zone. It is the most volatile and conflict-ridden region that  encounters both intra-state and inter-state conflicts as well as global peace and security threats over times. The aim of this study was to  assess the key security challenges of the ‘Horn of Africa’ and to provide pragmatic peace building strategy theories that aim to support  peace and security outcome in the region. In doing so, a documentary research with analytical qualitative research approach was  employed. The study found that the ‘Horn of Africa’ is commonly characterized by underdevelopment, famine and poverty; protracted  inter-state and intra-state disputes over boarders; civil war; violence; liberation and secessionist struggle; coup d’état and insurrections;  environmental decay; and human rights violations. Thus, appropriate pragmatic peace building theories such as the neo-realist security  approach; the critical security studies; the Copenhagen school of societal securitization approach; security in the Third World context: a subaltern realist security approach; and the environmental security approach are critically analyzed and suggested as a solution for the  existing peace and security challenges of the region. In a nutshell, the study will be indispensable for academicians, researchers,  practitioners, politicians and policy makers since it offers insights about the existing security dilemmas in the region and those pragmatic  peace building strategy theories that can be utilized as a remedy by those concerned peace actors of the region in general, and the  respective states in particular.