Economic Integration as a Peacebuilding Strategy in the Horn of Africa with Particular Focus on Ethiopia and Its Four Neighbours

Abstract

The quest for peace is a longstanding objective of national governments and
development partners in the Horn of Africa. Political negotiations between
conflicting parties and the promotion of regional economic integration spearheaded
by the sub-regional economic communities are among the most prominent
attempts by member states and their partners with the objective of promoting
regional peace. However, peace is still illusive in the region. This paper suggests
the adoption of an incremental peace project spearheaded by limited sectorial
cross-border cooperation. It summarizes the main theoretical approaches to crossborder
cooperation and provides a summary of the current political environment
of the region, highlighting its defining features. It further reviews the European
Union experience, for comparative reasons, which may inform us the way forward,
based on the key lessons from that experience.