Trans-border Security Threats in the Horn of Africa and Their Security Implications in Ethiopia

Abstract

The Horn of Africa sub-region where Ethiopia is a constituent part has been a hotbed of crises with local and global dimensions. What is worse, the region has been facing threats from what is termed as new security challenges: small arms circulation, illegal migration, cattle rustling, child abduction, terrorism, human and drug trafficking, illegal migration, cyber-crimes, maritime piracy, small arms proliferation etc. With the use of secondary sources such as peer-reviewed journals, books, magazines, official documents such as reports, proclamations, as well as policy and strategy papers, and publications issued by government as well as non-government organizations on the subject, and in-depth or unstructured interviews with key informants, the study investigatedthat the Horn of Africa in general and Ethiopia in particular have faced the brunt of transnational security.First, Ethiopia has been receiving a massive influx of refugees. Secondly, trans-border child abduction is a security threat to communities and ethnic groups living in the south western part of Ethiopia. In addition, the Hornplays as a source, transit and a destination for victims of trafficking and smuggling.Thirdly, pastoralconflict mainly cattle rustling in the region resulted inheavy loss of human life, property; displacements of large segments of the communities, and disruption of socio-economic activities and livelihoods. Moreover, trafficking and circulation of small arms in the hands of cattle rustlers, refugees, migrant smugglers and traffickers has adverse security impacts by prolonging conflicts, promoting crime and armed violence and slowing down the development of social and economic stability.