Horn of Africa Becoming “Battleground” for Rival Gulf Monarchies

The Horn — that comprises Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea — is a highly strategic spot on one of the world’s busiest trade routes between the Suez Canal and the Indian Ocean and lies just across the Red Sea from the Middle East. … The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has the most visible — and most criticised — presence in eastern Africa. Its support for the Rapid Support Forces (RSF) paramilitaries in Sudan is widely documented, albeit officially denied. … The competition is forging new alliances. There are rumours of a military agreement in the works between Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Somalia in order to counter Emirati influence. Somalia already cancelled all existing agreements with the UAE last month. Ethiopia, Africa’s second most populous country with some 130 million people, is also being drawn into the power plays. … The mega-rich Gulf monarchies have a dangerous amount of influence over the poor, conflict-ridden countries of east Africa, said Ethiopian researcher Biraanu Gammachu. “It’s an asymmetric relation between emerging middle power countries and donor-dependent states… The Gulf countries’ influence in the Red Sea sustains the instability in the region,” he said. AFP