An Alpenglow of Peace & Prosperity beams over the Greater Horn of
Africa & the Red Sea enclave –
Beyond the Impasse in
Eritrea and Ethiopia
Public Lecture - RL Vol. XI No. CCXCVI, MMXVII
Costantinos
Berhutesfa Costantinos, PhD
Professor of Public Policy & Sustainable Institutional Reforms
Abstract
Ethio-Eritrea relations go back thousands of years. The commonalty
arising from shared language, religion, culture and history go back to Axumite
kingdom more than 3000 years ago. In May 1993, Ethiopia recognised Eritrea as
an independent and sovereign state, welcoming and accepting the near‑unanimous
choice of independence by the Eritrean people. Historically, Abyssinia has been
the target of attack for religious and territorial gain reasons. Dervish,
Mahadists and Italian invaders have challenged Ethiopia that occupied one of
the most geostrategic regions in the world – the Red Sea. It is not for naught
that most Great Powers scrambled their navies to the region ostensibly to
combat piracy in recent times. Ostensibly aggravating the region’s security was
the Ethio-Eritrean war of 1998-2000 that claimed the lives of tens of thousands
and gave terrorists a field day in the Horn. The two have never come face to
face since then until now, when negotiations towards a détente and peace talks have
started in earnest.
The resurgence of peace talks between the two sisterly
nations will also be an antidote to the perennial challenges of poverty,
illiteracy and human insecurity that have made the Horn of Africa a basket case
for international charity, thousands drowning in the sea and butchered by human
traffickers and terrorists. Moreover, peace in these two nations will have
great dividends not only to their populace but also to the Horn at large. Beyond
schmaltzy gestures and platitudes, issues of shared prosperity and the fate of
communities in the border area would transform the containment into détente, if
they agree based on the conciliatory give and take based on people’s
priorities.
Indeed, there is no
more compelling raison d'être nor a mission-objective so utterly entrenched in
the preservation and, even advancement of human-kind, than a leadership that
can lead a social league to relate cogently to a peaceful region. It enters
politics and society in relatively abstract and plain form, yet pundits expect
it to land itself to the immediate and vital socio-political experience. It may
suggests itself, and seems within reach, only to elude and may appears readily
practicable only to resist realisation. The ultimate goal of peace and
prosperity must guide the negotiations as an open invitation and stand as a testimony to the commitment
of both parties to an enduring statesmanship that can obviate the process
Key words: Eritrea,
Ethiopia, Peace, Development, Border, Horn of Africa, GCC, Yemen,
See paper here or https://www.academia.edu/36915584/An_Alpenglow_of_Peace_and_Prosperity_beams_over_the_Greater_Horn_of_Africa_and_the_Red_Sea_enclave_Beyond_the_Impasse_in_Eritrea_and_Ethiopia_RL_Vol._XI_No._CCXCVI_MMXVII
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