A Diplomatic Supremo in Africa: Priming International Relations Policy & Practice on Regional Integration, Peace & Security

A Diplomatic Supremo in Africa:

Priming International Relations Policy & Practice on

Regional Integration, Peace & Security

Policy Research and Analysis Department, Ministry of Foreign Affairs 
United Nations Conference Centre, Addis Abeba,

Public Lecture - Respublica Literaria CCIII, MMXVI

Costantinos Berhutesfa Costantinos, PhD

Professor of Public Policy, School of Graduate Studies,

College of Business and Economics, AAU

Abstract

       The philosophical underpinning of Ethiopia’s overseas, overland and national security policies augurs on diplomatic activities trained at advancing a pluralist society and serving the country’s rapid economic development. Challenged by poverty and El Nino droughts, Ethiopia is consciously pursuing structural transformation meeting the MDGs and successively implementing the SDGs.  Located in a turbulent region, new martial and security scenarios in the Greater Horn of Africa with Yemen as the epicenter, one may ask if the Gulf Cooperation Council’s (GCC) move into the greater Horn will have a destabilizing effect Ethiopia. Is its incursion onto one of the most contested regions (The Horn’s pariah state) as a staging point or will this embolden the irredentist agenda of the pariah state and Al Shabaab?”

       Regional integration and economic development is difficult. Eloquent testimony to this effect is provided by the list of advanced economies compiled by the IMF. There are functioning models to emulate, a consensus concerning the characteristics of economies that have successfully developed, and decades of experience with a wide range of policy prescriptions. Ethiopia has moved quickly to integrate the region with power supply, road and rail networks (Djibouti, Sudan, Somaliland, Puntland, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, etc.). Ethiopia’s move to allow Somalilanders to move freely with goods and services into Ethiopia in the early nineties has had immense contribution to peace in that unrecognized nation. The recommendations augur on a need for a clear policy and strategy on the GCC venture in the Red Sea and Chinese investment and branding Ethiopia. Unless the overall strategy rings true about its people, there is little chance that it will be believed or endorsed by the population, much more the rest of the world. Furthermore, in a digital era that could render diplomats irrelevant, but still make the core of international relations, a meritocratic strategy must transform diplomacy into the 21^st century.

Key words: diplomacy, international relations, regional security, regional integration,

See paper here

See presentation here