The Role of Ethiopia in Peacebuilding in the Horn of Africa: Implications for Regional Integration
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Date
2019-06
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Horn of Africa is one of the regions in the world where multiple social, economic and political
ever changing issues keep emerging on spatial and temporal regards. These include the civil war
in South Sudan and its unsettled peace agreements; severe drought conditions of food insecurity
in Somalia, Ethiopia, and Kenya; political unrest in Sudan; terrorism in Somalia and other
challenging issues. Therefore, it was not possible to have significant social unification,
economic, and political integration such as a free movement of people, having same currencies,
and common military operations. Thus, given Ethiopia’s comparative advantage of its central
geographic location, population size, fast growing economy and strong military army, it is
imperative and appropriate to examine the extent of its role in contributing to the efforts for
peacebuilding in the region and its implications for regional integration. In this thesis, qualitative method of research design using primary and secondary data sources was employed.
Primary data was collected through key informants’ interviews of relevant officials, and experts
from government and academic institutions, embassies in Addis Ababa, and the African Union
Commission. Secondary information was collected from books, journal articles, unpublished
materials, governmental and NGO reports and remarks, magazines and web sources. The
research question(s) of the study aimed to understanding Ethiopia’s foreign relations on legal
policy framework and institutional set up, determine Ethiopia’s contribution towards
peacebuilding around, identifying constraining factors that hinder Ethiopia from utilizing its
potential and stating implications for future possible regional integration. The study employed
qualitative data analysis techniques, specifically, thematic data analysis. The findings of the
study revealed that there is a gap in the legal, policy framework and institutional set up of
Ethiopia’s foreign relation. Limited economic capacity, internal political instability, neighboring
country issues, extra neighboring and international politics were also major constraining factors
that hinder Ethiopia from utilizing its potential in peacebuilding in the HoA. Moreover, since
2002, Ethiopia’s peacebuilding role focused on the economic ties, infrastructural developments,
mediation, and peacekeeping mission instead of having the inclusion of social, economic and
political perspectives across HOA. Generally, the study shows that the contribution of Ethiopia
towards peacebuilding in the HoA is progressing forward, however; Ethiopia had not exerted its
full effort in contribution to peacebuilding in the region.
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Keywords
Ethiopia, Peacebuilding, Foreign policy, Regional integration, Horn of Africa