It is up to the Horn countries to make judgments based on their own interests about the presence of Super Powers – Prof. Macharia Munene
By Birhanu Yismaw
Bahir Dar, June 15, 2023 (AMECO) – The World Super Powers have been paying close attention to the Horn of Africa. As nations mark the Horn of Africa with military outposts, a new grand game is beginning to emerge.
There are about ten foreign military installations owned by both major and minor powers in Djibouti, Somalia, Eritrea, and Somalia. In addition to the political unrest and conflicts that have been arising, the people of the Horn of Africa have been suffering greatly from drought and starvation brought on by climate change. However, militarism and armaments have taken precedence for the world’s super powers.
Foreign nations state that their presence in the Horn of Africa is for strategic reasons. But their presence has turned the area into one of the world’s most conflict-torn areas. France, the United States, China, Germany, Japan, Italy, and Saudi Arabia are all represented in the tiny Djibouti.
In an exclusive interview with Amhara Media Corporation (AMECO), Prof. Macharia Munene mentioned that the super powers have been destabilizing the Horn. Macharia Munene is a Prof. of History and International Relations at the U.S. International University and Associate fellow at the Horn International Institute for Strategic Studies.
The Prof. said that the Horn of Africa demands policymakers who are informed and aware about those super powers in the region. And it is for Africans to make interest based decisions regarding the presence of those powers. In his insights the Prof. labeled none of those powers as good for the region. “They are destabilizing the region and each of them claiming that they are advancing stability, sometimes they claim things which make nonsense like good governance. They are setting their own agendas which are in conflict with each other. So, they are the destabilizing factors.”
He added that countries in the Horn should make a wise decision regarding whom to make alliance with and they need to reflect in accordance with their best interests. Prof. Munene in his advice for Africa countries and organizations mentioned that they have to work on reducing their dependency on foreigners. Knowing the dynamics of the players is also important to deal wisely. In order to protect the interests of their country, leaders in Africa need to think ahead.
The Prof. insisted that a ‘think tank’ reaction should be taken parallel to the foreign powers, as they are thinking for their own interests which usually they fix it. “So, the decision to think ahead required the knowledge of what those super forces are up to. We know they are promoting their interests, which is ok. So the Africans should also promote their own interests. External forces spend a lot for thinking on how to fix their agenda. If they know that you are thinking, they will find a way to stop you from thinking.” In order to protect the interests of Africans better Policymakers having better attitude towards the interests of the region are required. Working in cooperation within African states is crucial for defending the influence from big powers.
However, the Professor stated that ensuring internal stability inside countries may be a priority for the think-tank. Policymakers have been purposefully misled and have been led to believe that studying History and Philosophy is unimportant, resulting in policymakers who are unable to see beyond their technicalities and are vulnerable to manipulation.
Prof. Macharia Munene stated in his remark, “We need our people to know their history; right now, they don’t because there has been a deliberate effort to make people ignore and lose identity.” “Losing your history is one way to lose your identity.”
According to him, the superpowers in the Horn of Africa are forces that are purposefully working against everyone to cause them to lose their identity. As a result, they started to present conflict agendas. Going back to the fundamentals and knowing oneself—the good and the bad—helps one develop “think tanks,” explains the professor.
The Horn of Africa is made up of Djibouti, Somalia, Eritrea, and Ethiopia. The existence of nations with a sputtering economy and political instability is primarily due to the influence of outside players. The main superpowers with significant military presence in the Horn are China and the United States, who pursue their goals at the expense of the local populace.
The EU and other parties have taken an active interest in the region. All foreign powers have asserted that they are in the Horn of Africa to promote good government, stability, and strategic alliances. However, despite the fact that millions of people in the region have a serious problem with hunger, all the major and minor powers have paid close attention to arming the region and constructing military outposts.
The area is being militarized as a whole. There’s a war brewing. Prof. Macharia Munene said that none of these military actors benefit the people who are affected by food and climate insecurity.
