Ratiocinating Ethiopia’s International Relations & National Security Policy & Practice RL Vol XIII No 400 MMXIX

Ratiocinating Ethiopia’s International

Relations & National Security Policy & Practice:

The Gulf & Horn of Africa

United Nations Conference Centre (UNCC) Addis Ababa

Public Lecture - Respublica Litereria RL Vol. XIII No 400 MMXIX

Costantinos Berhutesfa Costantinos,

Professor of Public Policy & Sustainable Institutional Reforms

https://addisababa.academia.edu/CostyCostantinos

Abstract

New martial and security scenarios are evolving in the Greater Horn of Africa with Yemen as the epicentre. One may ask if the GCC incursion onto one of the most contested regions embolden the irredentist agenda of pariah states & terrorists. The philosophical underpinning of Ethiopia’s overseas, overland and national security policies must augur on activities trained at advancing a pluralist society as a prelude to structural transformation. Ethiopia needs to prime this policy in light of the turmoil in the Gulf, the Horn and internal dynamics. While the short-term de-escalation is a sine qua non, a counter narrative is obligatory that swings dialogues towards fostering viable peace that point to societies vs. states, harmony vs. animosity, assimilation vs. intolerance, rights vs. illusory stability, and hope vs. despair. The reworked foreign and national security policy must contain elements that wean the nation from an aid industry that is dying, heralding full or partial liberalisation of the economy, under adequate financial reform and regulatory environment, will spur investments and enable financ­ing the national security vision from within to ensure adequate preparedness. Locally, it will also find an answer to the growing unemployment trials for hundreds of thousands of school leaving youth, enabling a competitive, multi-channel private sector involvement in provision of major infrastructure that will provide more employment. We must adequately study the challenges stemming from Horn nations and develop with response policies, strategies & processes, developed. Threats oozing from the GCC-Yemen War are swelling to a wider trajectory that is engulfing Qatar, Iran & superpowers. Against these inscrutable humanitarian and martial imports, Ethiopia must develop strategy to cocoon itself from the fall outs. The UN Security Council must address the dangers of such an expanded conflict; using all diplomatic means to inform the GCC of the consequences of wider spark of conflict in the Horn, while stepping up the martial preparedness of Ethiopia. Finally, the Sunni-Shia divide genesis of the GCC conflict must be tempered not to creep into the Horn. Major structural reforms will undoubtedly enhance the utility of constitutional provisos. Nonetheless, to every human problem there is a tendency to find quick, nifty and wicked solutions; the answer like the glitches submits itself, seems within grasp only to elude, and appears readily doable only to resist fulfilment.

Key words: diplomacy, international relations, regional security, regional integration, GCC, Horn of Africa

See paper here or https://www.academia.edu/38172891/Ratiocinating_Ethiopia_s_Foreign_and_National_Security_Policy_and_Practice_RL_Vol_XIII_No_400_MMXIX