2 Pushing the envelope of national security and state influence at the margins
-
Robert Mason
Abstract
This chapter draws attention to a series of developments which have impacted on the policy of Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Horn of Africa, including: bilateral tensions; the policies of regional and international rivals or adversaries; the logistical requirements of the Yemen conflict; the drop in the international oil price; the economic impact of COVID-19 and sanctions. Employing a case study approach, the chapter identifies the leading dynamics at play in each Horn of Africa state, how these have evolved, and what role non-state actors such as Hezbollah and intergovernmental organisations such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Red Sea Forum play in obstructing or extending cooperation. The chapter concludes with a note on proximity and the Red Sea serving as a potential fulcrum for an interregional security complex.
Abstract
This chapter draws attention to a series of developments which have impacted on the policy of Saudi Arabia and Iran in the Horn of Africa, including: bilateral tensions; the policies of regional and international rivals or adversaries; the logistical requirements of the Yemen conflict; the drop in the international oil price; the economic impact of COVID-19 and sanctions. Employing a case study approach, the chapter identifies the leading dynamics at play in each Horn of Africa state, how these have evolved, and what role non-state actors such as Hezbollah and intergovernmental organisations such as the Intergovernmental Authority on Development and the Red Sea Forum play in obstructing or extending cooperation. The chapter concludes with a note on proximity and the Red Sea serving as a potential fulcrum for an interregional security complex.
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Illustrations vii
- Contributors viii
- Acknowledgements x
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: The view from the Gulf
- 1 Patterns of external involvement in the modern political history of the Horn of Africa states 15
- 2 Pushing the envelope of national security and state influence at the margins 36
- 3 Iran’s foreign policy and developmental activities in Africa 68
- 4 Extended states 99
- 5 The Turkey–Qatar alliance 127
- 6 Interregional embedded security model 151
- 7 Strategic geography in jeopardy 171
- 8 Kuwait’s foreign relations with East Africa 199
- 9 Djibouti - Bridging the Gulf of Aden? 229
- 10 Engaging foreign powers for regime survival 249
- 11 Sudan’s foreign policy predicament in the context of the GCC diplomatic rift 272
- Conclusion 295
- Index 303
Chapters in this book
- Front Matter i
- Contents v
- Illustrations vii
- Contributors viii
- Acknowledgements x
- Introduction 1
-
Part I: The view from the Gulf
- 1 Patterns of external involvement in the modern political history of the Horn of Africa states 15
- 2 Pushing the envelope of national security and state influence at the margins 36
- 3 Iran’s foreign policy and developmental activities in Africa 68
- 4 Extended states 99
- 5 The Turkey–Qatar alliance 127
- 6 Interregional embedded security model 151
- 7 Strategic geography in jeopardy 171
- 8 Kuwait’s foreign relations with East Africa 199
- 9 Djibouti - Bridging the Gulf of Aden? 229
- 10 Engaging foreign powers for regime survival 249
- 11 Sudan’s foreign policy predicament in the context of the GCC diplomatic rift 272
- Conclusion 295
- Index 303
