The conference destined to debate
the possibility of a confederation between the countries of the
Horn of Africa, which took place the 14 and 15 of November in
Tampa, Florida, (ION 1011), stayed limited to the academic
world. None of the American officials invited (the secretary of
state, Colin Powell, no more than the senator Bob Graham) were
present. For his part, the deputy director of East African
Affairs at the state department, Zachary Teich, did make the
trip to Tampa to take the podium during the conference, but he
indicated that he was participating as an alumnus of the
University of Florida (co-organizer of the event) and not in the
name of the American government. The latter didn't have any firm
position on the idea of the Horn of Africa confederation, and
Teich considered that there were a number of obstacles barring
the road to making such a regional entity concrete. Elizabeth
Keraly Onjoro, the senior administrative official of the
Presidential AIDS Advisory Panel, also took part in the
conference, which had about 130 participants the first day and
100 the second, the majority of which were USF students. The
conference, wiith the active participation of the poet Tsegaye
Gabre Medin and the former Zambian president Kenneth Daunda,
concluded with a recommendation in favor of creating an
Institute of East African Studies. Two American citizens of
Ethiopian origin, Kidane Alemayehu and Fassil Gabremariam
conceived the conference. The former worked as an expert for the
municipality of Dubai (United Arab Emirates) in the late 1990s,
while the latter was vice-president of the company Intermedia
Communications Inc. and president of the Tampa Port Authority.
Fassil Gabremariam is also the founding president of the United
States-Africa Free Enterprise Education Foundation, and since
late October 2002 he is the new chairman of the board of
directors of the Tampa Zoological Society.
THE INDIAN OCEAN NEWSLETTER N°
1019
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http://www.usf.edu/ibl/hornofafrica/hac_home.htm
UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA
US AFRICA FREE ENTERPRISE EDUCATION FOUNDATION
BACKGROUND DOCUMENT
INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE ON:
PROSPECTS FOR A HORN OF AFRICA CONFEDERATION
The September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States
have abruptly shifted the focus of national security issues for
all nations. Those recent events are tragic reminders of the
global reach of terrorism in today's world and point out the
need to reaffirm and strengthen long-term, strategic
partnerships and cooperation among nations as we seek to advance
a shared vision of peace, prosperity and sovereignty. Now more
than ever, nations are seeking integration into the global
economy and the comity of democratic nations. There is also a
renewed commitment to cooperation on counter terrorism, nuclear
non-proliferation, free market economic reforms, and development
of energy resources. However, the threat of terrorism and the
proliferation of weapons of mass destruction endanger the
security of the entire world. Democracy and multilateral
collaborations represent the cornerstone of long-term economic
and political stability for us all. The resulting free market
economies and the rule of law provide the most effective means
to advance the welfare of citizens and the stability of
societies throughout the world.
One lesson learned from the Afghanistan experience is
that the fundamental roots of terrorist activity must be dealt
with firmly and in a timely fashion to prevent similar tragedies
in other parts of the world. Greater attention must be paid to
regions where potential problems are already brewing if we are
to avert future disasters.
One of the regions that requires heightened international
attention and vigilance is the Horn of Africa (Ethiopia,
Eritrea, Somalia, and Djibouti) because of its obvious
geo-political significance. With a population of nearly 100
million, the Horn of Africa is of immense importance to the
international community. The headquarters of the Organization of
African Unity as well as the Economic Commission for Africa are
situated in this volatile region. In addition, it is bordered by
the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the Indian Ocean and is
proximate to the oil producing countries of the Middle East.
Clearly, the Horn of Africa is situated in a highly sensitive
zone that could significantly facilitate or disrupt global
logistics and commerce.
Previous devastating wars and continuing tensions among the
countries in the Horn of Africa continue to wreak havoc on the
area's economy and restrain international investments to the
region. The current political climate is fraught with mutual
suspicion, having dire consequences for orderly governance and
socio-economic development. In most cases, cooperation and
mutual support have given way to acrimony, distrust, and
sporadic hostilities.
Left unattended, the situation in the Horn of Africa could
degenerate into a major international disaster, thus posing
grievous peril to the international community. The situation in
Somalia could easily turn into a breeding ground for groups
dedicated to international terrorism. Despite the multilateral
agreement following the war that devastated the sub-region and
resulted in 100,000 deaths, the tension between Ethiopia and
Eritrea continues to threaten the area's economic and political
security.
Unless the international community takes action, the resulting
unrest could have far reaching and catastrophic consequences.
Alternatively, with the required attention and support, the
region could contribute significantly to world peace and
development. Perhaps now is the time to consider a bold new
approach that would bring peace and prosperity to the region
As Mr. Kofi Annan, Secretary General of the United Nations,
stated in his report to the United Nations Security Council,
"Conflict and peace cannot be addressed in isolation, but must
be approached with a more comprehensive perspective." He added,
" Such a perspective would take into account not only the
complex roots of conflict, but also the need for good governance
and sustainable development, which help provide the conditions
for lasting peace." (Africa Recovery, 1998). Also, a US
Government document on the Horn of Africa states that members of
the international community have reaffirmed their commitment to
this region and that a renewed effort is needed to collectively
institutionalize a new partnership in the region. (USAID, 1994).
To achieve stability and development in the region, the
establishment of a Horn of Africa Confederation (HAC) deserves
serious consideration by the international community. Such a
Confederation could focus sustained and integrated attention not
only on conflict resolution but also on mitigating the
environmental, economic, and social crises of the region. The
HAC could develop policies to allow the growth of technical and
research cooperation, the liberalization and harmonization of
trade policies, the promotion of intra-regional infrastructure
development, the fostering of food security, and accelerated
industrial development. The HAC could be a very useful building
block for realizing the objectives of the African Union while
strengthening sub-regional institutions such as IGAD and COMESA.
The establishment of a confederation among the Horn of Africa
countries could yield immense benefits for the people in the
region as well as for the international community:
- UN statistics indicate that within the first quarter of
this century, the population of the Horn of Africa is likely
to exceed 125 million. The opportunity provided by such a huge
population for substantial internal and external trade is
self-evident, provided a good measure of stability is
maintained.
- While the Red Sea currently divides adjacent countries and
is utilized mostly to facilitate East-West trade,
opportunities could be enhanced for much more substantial
commerce and economic cooperation between the Horn of Africa
and southeastern Arabia and beyond. This point is particularly
valid given the natural resources on either side of the Red
Sea that are complementary: human, agricultural and water
resources on the Horn side and oil on the other. It is
conceivable that there might be an eventual establishment of a
Red Sea cooperative council comprising the Horn of Africa
countries as well as Sudan, Egypt, Yemen, Saudi Arabia and
perhaps even Israel.
- An improved economy fueled by lasting stability and
cooperation in the Horn of Africa could save the international
community hundreds of millions of dollars that would otherwise
be directed to technical assistance as well as for the
maintenance of security in the region.
- The substantial human, financial and material resources
being deployed by the Horn of Africa countries for defense
purposes (primarily for wars against each other) could be
utilized instead for the much needed socio-economic
development including the improvement of agriculture,
industry, water resources, infrastructure and trade.