ISBN：9780755635153

ChineseTitle：角与海湾相接：区域关系中的经济外交与治国方略

Title：The Horn Engaging the Gulf

Subtitle：Economic Diplomacy and Statecraft in Regional Relations

Author：Aleksi Ylönen

Publisher：Bloomsbury Academic

Lan：eng

PubYear：2024

Location：西亚非书库

DESCRIPTION

This book discusses theoretical and in-depth research-based aspects of the Horn of Africa-Middle East/Persian Gulf relations founded on several years of observation.The discussion in this work should not be considered as a comprehensive account but, rather, an attempt to tease how the connections between state and non-state actors in the overall Horn of Africa-Middle East/Persian Gulf relations can be seen from the perspective of African agency. The motive behind the research presented here is to steer away from the currently prevalent, and perceivably skewed, International Relations theory framework used to interpret international affairs in the Middle East and, by extension, the Horn of Africa. In particular,the dominant conceptualization of state and power in the realist strand of the International Relations discipline, shaped by the Western experience, is questioned from the perspective of the Horn of African state and non-state actors. The study shows that re-conceptualizing the state and power by including the “sub-national” and ”local” actors and forces in the analysis of external connections enriches our understanding of African agency and the overall Horn of Africa-Middle East/Persian Gulf relations.

The theoretical dimensions discussed in this work are based on observations of the political and economic aspects of the relations. Empirical analysis shows that due to the nature of the states and political regimes involved, Horn of Africa-Middle East/Persian Gulf relations are largely personalized, pragmatic, and transactional, which makes them in most cases volatile due to frequently changing emphases,orientations,and alignments, Based on empirical observation and numerous discussions with experts and stakeholders further supported by the existing, and ever-growing, literature and other documented sources ,the main propositions of the study rely on several elaborated examples which, however should be seen as representative of a wider phenomenon, The book is therefore an attempt to provide a glimpse into the Horn of Africa-Middle East/Persian Gulf relations, but without shutting out other regional and international actors and influences.

Zooming in on bilateral ties,and recognizing the importance of complex networks of relations involving state and non-state actors, the discussion seeks to highlight the dynamics of the relationship between the parties. While doing this, it underlines some of the caveats of the dominant concepts in the realist mainstream International Relations literature,including that of the monolithic state, power between the so-called powerful (strong) and small (weak) states, and the narrow conceptualization of inter-relations that largely excludes the signifcant agency of non-state actors.Therefore, power, a central concept in the realist view of the International Relations discipline, is looked at more comprehensively based on several years of proximate observation, which helps to elucidate the actual power dynamics between actors beyond the simple understanding based on relations between unitary actors, In the Horn of Africa, for example, governments often lack the capacity to monopolize the state's foreign connections, and sub-state and non-state actors maintain their own external linkages which affect the country’s overall foreign relations. These external connections contribute to state and non-state actors’ domestic strength, as they use their local power (influence and control over strategic assets and resources) to bargain favorable deals with foreign actors and engage in domestic political and economic power competition. Their local strength results in power asymmetry and relative autonomy toward external actors.This, in turn, enables careful balancing between various external partners, which is aimed at maximizing space and minimizing constraints in maintaining foreign relationships. Therefore, local power and domestic rivalries are an important consideration in the Horn of Africa's engagement with foreign partners from the Persian Gulf, the wider Middle East, and elsewhere. It is expected that this perspective founded on prolonged observation contributes to refining the view on power in the Horn of Africa-Persian Gulf/Middle East interactions and helps to enrich the wider debate on the subject in the International Relations discipline. The selected country case studies do not pretend to holistically cover all Horn of Africa or provide comprehensive histories of the particular countries. But they seek to provide examples of the interaction between the local actors (governments, sub-state, and non-state) and their Middle East/Persian Gulf counterparts in the wider regional and international context. This necessarily includes;some discussion on their relations with other powers beyond the Middle east.As indicated earlier, the case studies,based on long-term observation,point out the importance of understanding power and foreign relations in the so-called weak,or fragile,states in the Horn of Africa, going beyond the limitations of inadequate realist interpretations. This seeks to improve our comprehension of the domestic political dynamics behind foreign policy and external connections and how foreign relations and linkages of various actors contribute to the overall domestic and regional dynamics. Various domestic power centers revolving around the state,sub-state,and non-state actors,individuals and groups alike, sustain such foreign connections by engaging in personalized, pragmatic, and transactional relations focusing on material, and to an extent reputational elements related to maintaining or gaining local power, In these highly personalized and often obscure relations, actors in the Horn of Africa exchange local resources, both material and intangible, for financial and economic benefits to enhance their local power. This puts them in a strong position in their relationship with external partners seeking local influence.

These empirical observations of the Horn of Africa-Middle East/Persian Gulf relations, in turn, motivated the study's emphasis on economic diplomacy and statecraft as a relevant theoretical frame. Rather than pursuing a holistic explanation, the work seeks to highlight the importance of pertinent aspects of these economic approaches to foreign relations. It considers them particularly useful in relationships in which one party possesses signifcant financial resources and the other politically, strategically, and economically desirable material and reputational resources.

The in-depth chapters which focus on three influential states in the Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, Somalia, and Eritrea highlight the connections between state, sub-state, and non-state actors with their Middle east/Persian Gulf partners. They seek to elucidate the local power and influence of the Horn actors and demonstrate the mainstream International Relations interpretations' lack of ability to account for the local agency. The book, therefore, aspires to make an important contribution to discrediting the dominant, but distorted, realist International Relations discourse applied to the Horn of Africa-Middle East/Persian Gulf relations.

CONTENTS

vi    List of Illustrations

vii  Acknowledgments

viii     Preface

1     INTRODUCTION

17    Chapter 1

THEORETICAL CONSIDERATIONS: ECONOMIC ASPECTS OF FOREIGN

POLICY

43    Chapter 2

OVERVIEW OF THE HORN OF AFRICA-PERSIAN GULF/MIDDLE EAST

RELATIONS

75    Chapter 3

ETHIOPIA: THE DESIRED PARTNER

111  Chapter 4

SOMALIA: A BATTLEGROUND OF INTERESTS

149  Chapter 5

ERITREA: THE FICKLE ALLY

185  CONCLUSION

193  Notes

229  Bibliography

254  Index

ILLUSTRATIONS

Figure

25    1 Countries’Overall Foreign Relations

Tables

34    1 Foreign Relations in the Horn of Africas

40    2 Economic Aspects of Foreign Relations Approach