Protagonist, hostage or victim? The Horn of Africa since Cold War to new world order

Abstract

Geography determines as anything else history and the political make-up in the Horn of Africa. Decolonization did not reproduce into sovereignty the colonial partition. However, the double or triple crisis that went to a conclusion in coincidence with the end of bi-polar system re-established the colonial pattern. Both the collapse of state in Somalia and the newly re-launched rivalry between Ethiopia and Eritrea lined along the main cleavages of the international (dis)order. Who dictated the terms? Ethiopia tried to take profit from her historical status to play a major role as a “regional center” accomplishing the requirements of the world hegemonic power. Somalia was involved in a phenomenology tailored on the objectives of war on terror. Despite their claiming to pursue national projects, Horn states, like in the East-West confrontation, pay the price of the enduring asymmetries of the Center-Periphery relationships. The uncertain role of Italy, the former colonial master.