Recently Ethiopia and Djibouti have inked a military cooperation agreement which can be called crucial, timely and exemplary action considering the situation of their surrounding region.
It would not be an exaggeration to say that countries of the horn are born on fire. These countries are sandwiched in the Red Sea area and the Horn of Africa region. For decades these countries have paid a lot of sacrifice to safeguard their national security and sovereignty due to the recurrent insecurity in these two volatile regions of the world. Yet, the solution is not to sit and lament, but to unite and repel any possible security threat, taking the matters in our hands.
Security is more possible when there is unity among those who are potential targets or victims of the threat. Through unity and partnership countries support one other and are revered by anyone with an evil intent.
Djibouti is a very strategic neighbor to Ethiopia. It is an important trade and economic partner. As the main gateway to Ethiopia’s import and export trade, security partnership between the two countries is an issue that can be said a very monumental step forward.
There are factors that make the collaboration of the two countries’ a must. As mentioned earlier the two countries are found at the forefront of the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa regions, two of the world’s most sensitive areas in terms of security. The reasons for the recurrent security issues in the two regions are the unstoppable urge of many countries that opt to execute their selfish political and economic benefit in the region. As a result, it has been witnessed for decades that the region has been vulnerable to continuous provocations, meddling and terrorist attacks.
Countries of the horn reached to this level of economic and political progress in spite of all the foreign backed civil war, terrorist attacks and unrest. They contended all these threats per se. One remaining solution they didn’t try so far, but should have given a try, is forming security alliance.
Indeed, the countries of the horn and east Africa have good experience of collaboration in fighting one of the typical threats to the region, drought and locust invasion. The countries’ formed the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) which has now grown up as a comprehensive regional organization.
Regardless of the weaknesses and strengths of the two organizations, it is good to emulate the initiative of working in collaboration in the fields’ mutual interest and problems. What about in the other shared regional threat called security? Just like locust invasion and drought, security problem like terrorism and foreign intervention is a threat to the entire countries of the region than on any single member. It doesn’t select and attack. It may grab victims one by one as a strategy. But eventually all the surrounding countries are likely to be devoured by the flame of the threat.
Therefore, it is wise to preempt such kinds of threats. The best solution is to form alliance before the threat shows up. The venture by Ethiopia and Djibouti deserves due appreciation and support. Other countries of the region should also do their homework in this regard to take our matters back into our hands.
The March 10/2022
