The Gulf States and the Horn of Africa takes a deep dive into the complexities of power projection, political rivalry and conflict across the Red Sea and beyond. Focusing on the nature of interregional connections between the Gulf and the Horn, it explores the multifaceted nature of relations between states and the two increasingly important subregions. Bringing together scholars working on and in both regions, the book considers strategic competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran, and between the UAE and both Qatar and Turkey, along with other international engagement such as joint anti-piracy operations, counterterrorism cooperation, security assistance, base agreements and economic development. Drawing on a range of subject expertise and field research across case study countries, the volume adds to the sparse literature on the regional and international politics of the Horn of Africa and Red Sea, gleaning specific insights from contemporary reflections across the book. This is essential reading for students and researchers interested in the Horn of Africa and the evolving regional geopolitics of the Gulf.

The ties that bind Africa and the Gulf region have deep historical roots that influence both what Braudel called the longue duree and the short-term events of current policy shifts, market-based economic fluctuations, and global and local political vicissitudes. This book, a collaboration of historians, political scientists, development planners, and a biomedical engineer, explores Arabian-African relationships in their many overlapping dimensions. Thus histories constructed from the "bottom up" -- records of the everyday activities of commerce, intermarriage, and gender roles -- offer an incisive complement to the "top down" histories of dynasties and the elite. Topics such as migration, collective memory, scriptural and oral narratives, and contemporary notions of food security and "soft" power pose new questions about the ties that bind Africa to the Gulf.

The Gulf Arab states’ engagement with the countries of the Horn of Africa dates back at least to the postcolonial era of the 1950s and 60s. Over recent decades, however, the Horn of Africa has become a region of increasing geostrategic and economic importance, as the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia have sought to establish a long-term military and commercial presence on both sides of the Gulf of Aden and Red Sea, in an effort to cement their status as regional powers. Even as the Gulf Arab states are deepening their engagement in the region, the Red Sea basin has also re-emerged at the heart of global geostrategic competition among China, Europe, the United States, and Russia. This intense interest has given far greater leverage to Horn of Africa leaders to bargain for better deals or play patrons off one another. The UAE and Saudi Arabia recently demonstrated they could leverage relationships to play a positive role, brokering a historic rapprochement between bitter rivals Ethiopia and Eritrea that could be transformational for the region in terms of economics, security, and stability. But at the same time, the Saudi and Emirati rivalry with Turkey and Qatar has spilled over, exacerbating pre-existing divisions and raising questions about whether the Gulf Arab states are more of a destabilizing force in the region. The long-term implications of a growing Gulf presence in the region and what this means for local political dynamics is unclear. What is evident, however, is that as Gulf Arab states exert greater influence in the Horn of Africa, the region’s future is being reimagined.

The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa delves into the business of politics in the turbulent, war-torn countries of north-east Africa. It is a contemporary history of how politicians, generals and insurgents bargain over money and power, and use of war to achieve their goals. Drawing on a thirty-year career in Sudan, Ethiopia, Eritrea and Somalia, including experience as a participant in high-level peace talks, Alex de Waal provides a unique and compelling account of how these countries’ leaders run their governments, conduct their business, fight their wars and, occasionally, make peace. De Waal shows how leaders operate on a business model, securing funds for their ‘political budgets’ which they use to rent the provisional allegiances of army officers, militia commanders, tribal chiefs and party officials at the going rate. This political marketplace is eroding the institutions of government and reversing statebuildingÑand it is fuelled in large part by oil exports, aid funds and western military assistance for counter-terrorism and peacekeeping. The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa is a sharp and disturbing book with profound implications for international relations, development and peacemaking in the Horn of Africa and beyond.

This book discusses theoretical perspectives of analyzing the relations between the states and non-state actors in the Horn of Africa and their counterparts in the Persian Gulf and the Middle East. Crucially, these relations are examined primarily from the perspective of the diplomatic, economic, and strategic agency of the African states and societal actors. Here, domestic political dynamics and local power play a significant role. Aleksi Ylönen provides a historically informed investigation of recent relations that involve the Gulf States and Türkiye's resurgent interest in the Horn Africa. The analysis focuses on the post-Arab Spring period following the Iran nuclear deal and the war in Yemen. Featuring case studies from Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea which highlight engagements of the Horn state and societal actors primarily with the Gulf States and Türkiye, the study provides an empirical analysis of the interactions and connections between the two regions.

"Examines the state of governance in the countries of the greater Horn of Africa region--Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, the Sudan, and Yemen--and discusses strategies to combat the transnational threat of terrorism, including suggestions for more effective U.S. engagement in the region"--Provided by publisher.

An original and empirically grounded analysis of the Gulf monarchies and their role in shaping the political economy of the Middle East.