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From Sudan to Somalia: New Report Exposes Links that Fuel Regional Crisis

23 June 2008

The conflicts and humanitarian disasters from Sudan to Somalia are closely linked and a failure to understand this is undermining efforts to find peace, says a new report by Chatham House. The report is a study of three peace processes in the region dealing with the conflicts in Somalia and Sudan and between Ethiopia and Eritrea. It shows how each of these different conflicts feed into each other and exacerbate conflicts in other countries.

The report argues that including the Horn of Africa in the 'war on terror' has only exacerbated the situation and has polarized parties along religious lines. It finds no positive signs that the enmity between Ethiopia and Eritrea will soon come to an end and sees a particularly bleak future for Somalia which now faces a worse humanitarian situation than before the Ethiopian intervention, while the Somali Transitional Federal Government has been quite unable to establish its authority in the country.

The report finds some positive signs in the Sudanese Comprehensive Peace Agreement but highlights the many stumbling blocks that need to be avoided. The lack of understanding around the historical background of conflicts in the Horn of Africa has hampered comprehensive solutions to conflicts and undermined international efforts. In the long run the report argues that growing economic interdependence is likely to offer the best route to a peaceful future for the region.

Note to Editors:

'Lost Opportunities in the Horn of Africa: How Conflicts Connect and Peace Agreements Unravel' is written by Sally Healy OBE, Associate Fellow, Africa Programme, Chatham House.

The report is a product of the Horn of Africa Group, a collaboration between Chatham House, The Centre for African Studies at the University of London, the Rift Valley Institute and the Royal African Society.

Interview bids:
Sally Healy is based in London and available for interview.
Contact: +44 (0)7952 592492
Email Sally Healy

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