Posts

China Has Been Spying on the African Union Headquarters

Beijing has gone out of its way to gain information on African leaders in order to compel and coerce them into supporting China’s international goals. Source: National Interest | Joshua Meservey Last week, a report emerged that hackers, probably from China, had been filching security camera footage from inside the African Union headquarters building in Ethiopia. Several years […]

U.S. Military Base Penetrated By Somali Militants

Military Watch | Dash-8 Spy Plane and C-146 Transport Destroyed The Somali militant group Al Shabab launched a successful attack on a U.S. military base in Kenya, the Manda Bay Airfield, on January 5th. The attack follows longstanding tensions between the group and American forces in the region, and amid at time when the U.S. […]

The Potential Impact Of Us Troop Withdrawal For The Future Of Somalia

The decision of the outgoing Trump administration to pull out US troops from Somalia by 15 January has come at a particularly critical period for the East African region. This could have broader security and humanitarian implications, threatening the progress of the past decade and leaving the country exposed to the influence of regional actors.  Source: […]

Geopolitical dynamics in the Horn of Africa

An Emboldened Horn of Africa Axis and an Unfolding Humanitarian Crisis Await the Biden Administration By Guled Ahmed | Middle East Institute Summary The Biden Administration is set to face a series of challenges in the Horn of Africa. Given growing Russian and Chinese involvement in this strategically important region, U.S. policymakers should be attuned to […]

Statement on Ethiopia by the Senior Study Group on Peace and Security in the Red Sea Arena

Source: USIP As members of the bipartisan senior study group on peace and security in the Red Sea arena, we are watching with grave concern the situation in Ethiopia. While many of the facts remain unclear, the risks of escalation are certain: Intrastate or interstate conflict would be catastrophic for Ethiopia’s people and for the region and […]

“America First” and Implications for US Strategy in the Horn of Africa

Source: Small Wars | Richard McManamon Abstract Since taking office, President Trump has challenged the global order with his “America First” approach. He has questioned the role of the US and its Allies within NATO, exited the Paris Climate Accord, and entered into a trade battle with China. At the same time, the Trump administration […]

What Ethiopia’s Brewing Conflict Means for the Country—and the Region

Source: Small Wars | Aly Verjee and Susan Stigant | USIP Publication A protracted conflict between the federal government and the Tigray region is still not inevitable, but it will require both sides to choose another path. Violent conflict between the federal government of Ethiopia and the federal state of Tigray, in the country’s north, […]

‘Abiy Ahmed had to punish those seeking to break up Ethiopia’ – Djibouti President

Source: The African Report The deadly conflict between Ethiopia’s federal government and Tigrayan rebels continues to intensify, especially after Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed issued a warning on Sunday to surrender within 72 hours. But despite international calls for a cease in action, many regional neighbours, including the small state of Djibouti, are supporting the PM’s […]

Egypt Deploys its Most Advanced Fighters to Sudan For Joint Exercises Amid Political Uncertainty

Source: Military Watch Magazine The Egyptian Air Force has deployed a contingent of its most capable fighter aircraft, the MiG-29M, to neighbouring Sudan for the Protectors of the Nile 2020 military exercises. This follows a Western-backed coup in Khartoum in 2019 which saw the administration of longstanding Western adversary Omar Al Bashir toppled, with Sudan’s political future still […]