Explained
Why the Red Sea Is Vital to the Horn of Africa
A narrow strait at the bottom of the Red Sea shapes the economics and the security policy of all four countries in the Horn. Here is how.
11 Aug 2026·11 Aug 2026
Section
Explained
7 articlesBackground, context and plain-language answers to the questions behind the headlines.
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Explained
Ethiopia and Eritrea: From Thirty Years of War to a Peace Deal, and What Came After
A timeline of the relationship that has done more than any other to shape the modern Horn.
Explained
IGAD and the Limits of Regional Mediation
The Horn's own regional body has mediated some of Africa's hardest conflicts. Its structural weakness is that its members are frequently parties to them.
ExplainedEthiopia
The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam and the Nile Question, Explained
Africa's largest hydroelectric project sits on a river that three countries depend on. Here is what is actually in dispute.
Explained
Why Ports Matter So Much in the Horn of Africa
Four countries, one strategic waterway, and a hundred and twenty million people who need to reach it.
ExplainedSomalia
How Somalia's Federal System Actually Works
A federal government, five member states, one self-declared republic, and a constitution that is still provisional.
Explained
Why the Horn of Africa Is Strategically Important
Six factors explain why states with no obvious connection to the region maintain a presence in it.