Communication from the Commission to the Council and the European Parliament - Strategy for Africa: an EU regional political partnership for peace, security and development in the Horn of Africa {SEC(2006)1307}
Date: 2006-10-20
Institutions: European Commission
Subjects: EU relations, Horn of Africa, cooperation policy, development aid, regional security, the EU's international role

COMMISSION OF THE EUROPEAN COMMUNITIES 

Brussels, 20.10.2006 
COM(2006) 601 final 

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT  

Strategy for Africa: An EU regional political partnership for peace, security and 
development in the Horn of Africa 

{SEC(2006)1307} 

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HORN OF AFRICA REGION 

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TABLE OF CONTENTS 

1. 

Introduction .................................................................................................................. 4 

1.1. 

Policy framework. ........................................................................................................ 4 

1.2.  Why the horn of africa is of strategic importance to the eu ......................................... 5 

2. 

2.1. 

2.2. 

3. 

3.1. 

3.2. 

Regional dimension and dynamics............................................................................... 5 

Regional interconnections............................................................................................ 5 

Regional cross-cutting issues ....................................................................................... 6 

A work programme for regional action........................................................................ 8 

Encouraging effective regional political and economic cooperation and integration.. 8 

Addressing the key country-level strategic political issues which have regional 
ramifications................................................................................................................. 9 

3.3. 

Addressing regional cross-cutting and cross-border concerns in the horn of africa .. 10 

4. 

4.1. 

4.2. 

5. 

6. 

An enabling environment for a successful partnership .............................................. 10 

Proposed eu accompanying measures........................................................................ 10 

Proposed horn of africa partners’ accompanying measures....................................... 11 

Conclusion ................................................................................................................. 12 

List of abbreviations................................................................................................... 13 

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COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE COUNCIL AND THE 
EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT 

Strategy for Africa: An EU regional political partnership for peace, security and 
development in the Horn of Africa 

1. 

INTRODUCTION 

1.1. 

Policy framework. 

On 20 March 2006, the European Commission outlined at the 11th Summit of Heads of State 
and Government of IGAD (Intergovernmental Authority on Development) an initial blue print 
of  a  strategy  for  peace,  security  and  development  for  the  Horn  of  Africa  region.  This 
Communication translates the mutual interest and political will to generate regional stability 
and solidarity and is the product of high-level consultations that have taken place since then, 
involving all the IGAD countries and other interested regional players such as the League of 
Arab States and Egypt.  

This  Communication  builds  on  two  important  Strategies  already  being  implemented  by  the 
EU: the ‘European Consensus for Development’ adopted by the European Parliament, the 
Council and the Representatives of the Governments of the Member States meeting within the 
Council and the Commission on 20 December 20051 and the ‘EU-Africa Strategy’ approved 
by  the  European  Council  on  15-16  December  2005.  The  former  provides  an  overarching 
policy  framework  geared  to  achieving  poverty  reduction  and  sustainable  development  by 
following  a  comprehensive  prevention-based  approach  to  state  fragility,  supporting  conflict 
prevention and resolution, and building peace. The latter underpins EU policy towards Africa 
by pointing out that “issues such as peace and security, migration, interconnection or disaster 
management require primarily regional  or  continental  responses” and stressing the need to 
“develop a comprehensive approach to conflict prevention, which seeks to integrate policies 
and action in the fields of security, development and democratic governance. The EU should 
increasingly  use  regional  and  national  development  strategies  and  instruments  to  address 
structural causes of conflict.”  

Security  and  development  are  important  and  complementary.  Without  peace  and  security, 
development and poverty eradication are not possible, and without development and poverty 
eradication no sustainable peace will occur. 
This central assumption which underscores the EU-Africa Strategy is particularly relevant in 
the Horn region. The Horn of Africa is one of the most conflict-prone regions in the world as 
well  as  one  of  the  poorest.  The  protracted  border  dispute  between  Eritrea  and  Ethiopia,  the 
Somalia  crisis  and  the  Sudanese  and  Northern  Uganda  conflicts  all  have  an  impact  on  the 
livelihoods of millions of people moving the region away from the Millennium Development 
Goals' (MDGs). 

On the basis of this policy framework, the European Commission is now proposing to set up a 
‘Regional Political Partnership’ with the Horn of Africa2, as a test case for applying the EU-
Africa  Strategy.The  main  objective  of  the  Communication  is  to  contribute  to  reducing  the 

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JO (OJ C 46, 24.2.2006, p. 1). 
Defined  in  this  Communication  as  including  all  IGAD  countries :  Djibouti,  Ethiopia,  Eritrea,  Kenya, 
Somalia, Sudan, Uganda 

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region’s  instability,  which  is  a  prerequisite  for  reaching  the  MDGs.  It  sets  out  a 
comprehensive approach to conflict prevention in the Horn of Africa, tackling in the short to 
medium  term  the  root  causes  of  instability  at  both  country  and  regional  level  and 
strengthening regional cooperation. It should guide EU external action in the region and the 
formulation of Country and Regional Strategy Papers. 

1.2.  Why the Horn of Africa is of strategic importance to the EU 

A  prosperous,  democratic,  stable  and  secure  region  is  in  the  interests  of  the  countries  and 
peoples  of  both  the  Horn  of  Africa  and  the  EU.  However,  an  uncontrolled,  politically 
neglected, economically marginalised and environmentally damaged Horn has the potential to 
undermine the region’s and the EU’s broad stability and development policy objectives and to 
pose a threat to European Union security  

The EU is the most  important  development partner in the Horn region. It is also one of the 
main  providers  of  humanitarian  assistance.  Socio-economic  vulnerability  and  inequities, 
shortcomings  in  the  human  and  social  rights  field,  chronic  food  insecurity,  competition  for 
scarce natural resources, poor governance and population growth are underlying features that 
EU stability and poverty reduction policies, together with regional and international partners, 
seek  to  address.  Stability  in  the  Horn  of  Africa  is  also  strategically  crucial  for  EU  security. 
Cross-border dynamics, such as illegal migration and trafficking of arms, drugs and refugee 
flows, are factors contributing to instability and tensions that spread throughout the Horn of 
Africa  and  beyond,  and  could  even  reach  the  EU.  The  Horn  has  come  under  increased 
international scrutiny in the war against terrorism due to the spreading of religious extremism 
and ideological influences from neighbouring sub-regions. Prevailing insecurity in the region 
has  also  contributed  to  a  culture  of  lawlessness,  banditry,  and  warlordism.  As  a  result  the 
boundaries between political conflict, criminality and terrorism tend to be blurred. 

The  EU  has  also  strong  economic  interests  in  having  a  stable  Horn  of  Africa.  It  adjoins 
strategically  important  parts  of  the  Middle  East:  it  flanks  the  Red  Sea  waterway,  which  is 
crucial for EU trade and supplies, particularly energy; it is a neighbour of Saudi Arabia, the 
world’s  largest  oil  producer  ;  it  straddles  the  Nile  basin,  which  is  of  central  importance  to 
Egypt  (whose  stability  in  turn  is  an  important  element  of  Mediterranean  and  Middle  East 
stability); and it is in close proximity to countries covered by the EU Neighbourhood policy, 
both in North Africa and the Near East.. Also, the EU is the key international trading partner 
of the region and there is potential for EU economic interests to grow, if energy supplies and 
economic growth in the region continue to rise and are adequately managed.  

It  is  important  to  note  that  other  countries,  notably  the  US,  China  and  India  have  taken  an 
interest in the strategic importance of the Horn and are investing significant resources there. 

2. 

REGIONAL DIMENSION AND DYNAMICS 

2.1. 

Regional interconnections 

The Horn region has particularly complex regional, political and cross-border dimensions. 
These include the confluence of Bantu/Nilotic, Arab, Egyptian and Abyssinian cultures; the 
large number of wars over secession, autonomy or territorial claims (many of them related to 
ethnic or religious identity), control of resources and disputed borders; the regional impacts of 

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population  growth,  climate  change  and  related  pressures  on  natural  resources;  the  friction 
fuelled by competition for the water resources from the Nile; the high proportion of nomadic 
pastoralists,  bound  largely  by  ethno-linguistic  ties  rather  than  political  borders,  who  are 
among the most marginalised groups in the region; a culture of militarism and certain vested 
interests in war economies; and the neglect, underdevelopment and insecurity of border areas 
in the region. All these factors contribute to instability, conflict, poverty and poor governance, 
and  require  regional  solutions  with  cross-border  and  transnational  components  that 
complement appropriate national responses. 

The Horn faces not a series of separate conflicts, but a regional system of insecurity in which 
conflicts  and  political  crises,  feed  into  and  fuel  one  another.  The  current  political  and 
ideological  environment  in  the  Horn  of  Africa  gives  rise  to  growing  polarisation  and  an 
entrenched  fault  line  of  instability  that  stretches  from  Darfur  to  southern  Somalia  and  has  a 
negative impact on the region as a whole. Regional organisations such as the African Union 
(AU) and IGAD play a key role in finding sustainable solutions to the challenges the Horn of 
Africa faces. Annex I provides an over view of the existing regional architecture. 

An overview of some of the most important regional interconnections of the larger conflicts in 
the region is provided in Annex II. The following conclusions can be drawn: 

•  Most  of  the  borders  are  unstable,  border  regions  are  prone  to  conflict  of  one  kind  or 

another and there are a number of contested borders; 

•  Most of those countries which share a common border also have, or have had in the recent 

past, difficult inter-state relations which can lead to violence;  

•  In all of the larger conflicts in the region, there is evidence of states providing refuge, rear 
bases, military support and diplomatic recognition to groups fighting wars in neighbouring 
states. 

These regional interconnections have manifested themselves in several ways:  

•  A major recent political development has been the rapprochement between Sudan, Eritrea 

and the emerging Islamic Courts in Somalia;  

•  The Ethiopia-Eritrea tensions have spillover effects not only along the common border but 

also in the internal politics of each country and in the conflicts in Somalia and Sudan; 

•  Ethiopia has had or continues to have complex relations with many of its neighbours; 

•  The  existing  instability  in  Darfur  and  southern  Somalia  has  been  fuelled  by  international 

factors and has implications on neighbouring countries and regions. 

2.2. 

Regional cross-cutting issues 

There are a number of important cross-cutting issues common to the crises in the Horn. 

Governance and security: A crucial issue in reducing instability in the Horn of Africa is to 
address the mutually reinforcing connections between insecurity, poverty and governance. At 
the  heart  of  this  relationship  are  communities  which  feel  marginalised  in  the  national 
distribution  of  power,  wealth  and  access  to  natural  resources,  social  services,  security  and 

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justice.  These  communities  may  over  time  develop  grievances  that  can  lead  to  violent 
rebellion.  Conflicts  in  the  Horn  can  be  exacerbated  by  powerful  networks  of  state  and  non-
state actors, such as warlords and the business community, who benefit from war economies – 
including  arms,  drugs  and  human  trafficking  networks  -  which  they  to  some  extent  control 
and  who  thus  have  an  interest  in  maintaining  the  status  quo,  thereby  increasing  the 
marginalisation  of  communities  and  the  manipulation  of  ethnic  groupings.  In  addition, 
instability  and  conflict  in  the  Horn  of  Africa  and  the  violation  in  some  cases  of  universal 
rights  have  been  perpetuated  by  the  lack  of  political  space  for  the  peaceful  resolution  of 
conflicts, by authoritarianism and militarism, and by the interference of external powers. 

Religious  fundamentalism:  Religious  fundamentalism 
increasingly 
important  regional  issue  in  view  of:  (i)  weak  state  institutions  in  the  Horn  that  make  the 
region  a  target  for  fundamentalist  groups;  (ii)  grievances  wrought  by  poverty  and  conflicts 
that  make  the  region  a  potential  breeding  ground  for  religious  extremism  and  activism;  and 
(iii) the influence on the region of extremist fundamentalist ideology particularly from certain 
parts of the neighbouring Middle East.  

is  becoming  an 

Migration, refugees and Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs): The Horn of Africa is one 
of the regions with the highest number of migrants and refugees in the world. Every country 
in the region is severely affected, as a source of refugees/migrants, as a transit or destination 
or  both.  IDPs  remain  particularly  vulnerable  and  are  numerically  the  most  important  group, 
and have also to be factored in as part of the development and insecurity equation. This crisis, 
which has very strong regional political and security dimensions, is an indicator of political 
marginalisation and exclusion and is a source of regional instability fuelling the development 
of inter-state tensions. Refugees are, moreover, vulnerable  to exploitation by traffickers and 
criminal/terrorist networks. Human trafficking to Gulf countries, involving not only refugees 
but also marginalised and poor communities and the fact that the region is a major entry route 
to Europe are significant issues.  

Proliferation  and  misuse  of  Small  Arms  and  Light  Weapons  (SALW):  The  problem  of 
proliferation and misuse of SALW is acute throughout the Horn. Wide availability and flow 
of  SALW  is  partly  a  consequence  of  past  and  present  wars  in  the  Horn  and  in  the 
neighbouring regions (along with third states providing arms to opposition/rebel groups), and 
is a factor contributing to the presence of warlords, militias, criminal networks, armed crime 
and violence in the region. It also serves as an enabler of terrorism.  

SALW  and  other  trafficking  in  the  Horn  have  strong  inter-regional  and  global  dimensions. 
Large-scale  trafficking  of  arms  thrives  between  the  Horn  of  Africa  and  the  Great  Lakes 
Region, Central Africa, North Africa and the Arabian Peninsula. Consequently, trafficking in 
MANPADS and other highly sensitive arms across the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden has become 
a major focus for several EU Member States. 

Security  of  border  areas:  Insecurity  and  underdevelopment  of  border  and  peripheral  areas 
are key elements of regional instability. Borders are permeable and often allow for high levels 
of insecurity, smuggling/trafficking, violence and environmental degradation.  

Competition  for  access  to  Natural  resources  such  as  water,  timber  and  non-timber  forest 
products,  fish  and  fertile  land,  further  negatively  impacts  on  human  security  in  the  region, 
particularly  when  coupled  with  population  growth  and  the  marginalisation  of  remote  areas. 
The  impact  of  desertification  and  climate  change  will  further  exacerbate  the  pressure  on 
natural resources. 

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Access to limited water and environmental protection of water resources have a particularly 
important regional dimension because the main river basin in the region, the Nile, is a trans-
boundary  resource  shared  by  ten  states,  including  five  of  the  seven  countries  of  the  Horn. 
Other important trans-boundary rivers, which flow from Ethiopia into Somalia and Kenya, are 
the Shabelle, Juba and Omo. There  are potential regional tensions  relating  to  sharing of the 
waters of the Nile, particularly between Egypt and up-river riparian states.  

Structural food insecurity is also a concern, affecting mostly nomadic pastoralists3 and agro-
pastoralists.  Depletion  of  natural  resources,  drying-out  of  water  holes  and  degradation  of 
pasture  areas,  are  all  causes  of  ethnic  tensions  and  conflicts  in  the  Horn  of  Africa.  Food 
insecurity has both cause and effect implications for regional stability. Tackling the political 
roots  of  food  insecurity  is  of  strategic  importance  in  order  to  break  a  vicious  cycle  of 
instability generating hunger and vice-versa.  

Pastoralism:  The  Horn  has  a  high  number  of  transhumant  and  cross-border  pastoralists, 
whose  communities  are  often  marginalised  and  alienated.  Poor  policies  have  stimulated  or 
tolerated violent conflict amongst pastoralists or between pastoralists and other segments of 
the population. Pastoralists have been drawn into trafficking, rebellions and increasing levels 
of violent conflict.  

The relation between pastoralist and agro-pastoralist is also critical, with access to land, water 
and other natural resources vital for agriculture a source of tension. 

A significant cross-cutting issue aggravating all these factors is the demographic upsurge in 
the  region  (Annex  III  and  IV).  The  IGAD  region  today  counts  a  population  of  195  million 
people;  this  is  estimated  to  be  as  high  as  480  million  people  in  the  year  2050,  representing 
25% of Africa’s total population. This rapidly growing population further increases pressure 
on  limited  natural  resources  and  represents  a  challenge  to  the  region’s  development  and 
stability. 

3. 

A WORK PROGRAMME FOR REGIONAL ACTION  

The  work  programme  addresses  the  key  regional  challenges  outlined  above,  focusing  on 
concrete  actions  and  initiatives  that  need  to  be  taken  in  order  to  achieve  greater  regional 
political stability.  

3.1. 

Encouraging  effective  regional  political  and  economic  cooperation  and 
integration 

Increasing  the  capacity  and  political  commitment  of  the  AU,  IGAD  and  other  sub-regional 
organisations  to  play  a  key  role  in  regional  stabilisation  is  a  high  priority  in  the  regional 
partnership. The EU enhanced partnership with the AU and sub-regional organisations should 
include the following measures: 

1. 

3 

Enhancement of political and functional cooperation with IGAD by the development 
of  a  joint  vision  and  implementation  plan  focusing  on  three  main  areas  of 

Agriculture  also  plays  a  major  role  in  food  security,  in  countries  like  Ethiopia  for  example,  and 
although more of national interest, it has some regional aspects, namely trade-related, which cannot be 
neglected. 

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2. 

3. 

4. 

cooperation:  (i)  peace,  security  and  governance;  (ii)  pastoralism  and  food  security, 
and (iii) institutional development.  

Active  involvement  of  the  AU  in  the  Horn  and  the  strengthening  of  African 
Capabilities4,  particularly  in  building  capacities  for  conflict  prevention,  conflict 
mediation and deployment of military peacekeeping and monitoring operations. The 
establishment of the Eastern African Standby Military Brigade (EASBRIG) as part of 
the  African  Standby  Force  is  a  positive  development  in  building  capacities  for  the 
deployment  of  military  peacekeeping  and  monitoring  operations,  and  the  EU  could 
consider support to this initiative as well as building the capacity of the Secretariat of 
the AU Peace and Security Council. 

Fostering  of  regional  integration  in  the  Horn  of  Africa,  inter  alia  through  the 
Economic Partnership Agreement (EPA) negotiations. COMESA and the East Africa 
Community (EAC) are key vehicles for regional integration and should certainly be 
part of any long-term strategy for building peace in the region. In EC regional and 
pan-African  programmes,  particular  emphasis  will  be  placed  on  infrastructure  and 
communications as strategic vehicles for regional integration in line with the Africa 
Strategy. 

In  the  context  of  the  EU-Africa  Infrastructure  Partnership,  the  EU  will  develop 
infrastructure  and  related  services  as  well  as  interconnections  within  the  Horn  and 
between African regions. 

In  December  2005,  the  European  Council  agreed  to  support  African  efforts  to 
monitor and improve governance, and to develop a Governance Initiative to support 
national reforms triggered by the African Peer Review Mechanism (APRM). Several 
countries  in  the  Horn  region  (Ethiopia,  Sudan,  Kenya  and  Uganda)  have  already 
adhered  to  the  APRM,  and  support  for  the  implementation  of  reforms  should  be 
provided through the EU Governance Initiative. 

3.2. 

Addressing  the  key  country-level  strategic  political  issues  which  have  regional 
ramifications 

This part of the work programme prioritises the major strategic country-level political issues 
which could potentially have the most serious regional impact. A selected number of issues 
and regional priorities are identified below, and could be considered as items for EU political 
dialogue with the Horn of Africa. 

1. 

2. 

3. 

4 

In  Sudan,  regional  supporters  and  opponents  of  the  peace  process(es)  and  their 
interests should be identified and factored into dialogue and cooperation. Particular 
attention should be paid to the regional implications of the Darfur crisis. 

Cross-border state support for armed groups should be put on the political/diplomatic 
agenda of the EU and the countries of the Horn region. 

There  should  be  engagement  with  initiatives  aimed  at  finding  solutions  to  border 
demarcation  issues,  particularly  in  relation  to  the  Ethiopian/Eritrean  border  which 

In line with the EU Concept for strengthening African Capabilities for the Prevention, Management and 
Resolution of Conflicts (July 2006) 

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has  broader  implications  for  the  region.  The  normalisation  of  relations  between 
Eritrea and Ethiopia is crucial for peace and stability in the Horn. 

The  political  approach  towards  Kenya  and  Djibouti  should  be  developed  and 
reviewed, taking into account their role in regional stability. 

For regional stability, “containment” cannot be considered as an option in Somalia; 
instead,  the  underlying  causes  of  instability  in  Somalia  need  to  be  addressed.  The 
concerns of Somalia’s neighbouring countries should be taken into account and these 
countries  should  play  a  positive  and  stabilising  role  in  the  Somali  peace  process. 
Anchoring  Somalia  in  the  regional  partnership  will  be  a  ‘test  case’  for  its  effective 
implementation (see Annex V). 

The  northern  Uganda  peace  process  should  take  the  regional  dimensions  of  the 
conflict into account, particularly as regards southern Sudan. 

Addressing  regional  cross-cutting  and  cross-border  concerns  in  the  Horn  of 
Africa 

4. 

5. 

6. 

3.3. 

There are several important cross-cutting and cross-border issues that need to be addressed in 
a  systematic  way.  The  Communication  proposes  EU  regional  action  in  three  interrelated 
pillars and outlines in Annex VI policy responses to achieve the following objectives: 

1. 

2. 

3. 

Improved  governance  and  security  and  enhanced  engagement  with  Political  Islam 
and dialogue between societies/cultures. 

Enhanced  development,  trade,  security  and  political  participation,  particularly  in 
‘border  regions’  and  management  of  migration  and  refugees  and  prevention  of 
trafficking and SALW proliferation. 

Improved  policies  and  programmes  to  address  competition  in  natural  resources 
including  development  of  regional  food  security  strategies  and  reduce  pastoralist-
related  conflict,  enhanced  governance  and  co-operative  management  of  freshwater 
resources.  

4. 

AN ENABLING ENVIRONMENT FOR A SUCCESSFUL PARTNERSHIP 

Successful  implementation  of  the  measures  described  in  this  Communication  requires 
concerted and coordinated action on the part of the EU and IGAD Member States as well as 
flexibility, responsiveness to dynamic situations and innovative use of available instruments 
to  create  incentives  for  political  change.  Moreover,  this  regional  political  partnership  will 
evolve  dynamically,  with  regular  revision  and  development  of  common  policies  and 
programmes. It will thus make substantial demands on EU/IGAD capacities for coordination, 
policy  development  and  programme  implementation  and  the  following  accompanying 
measures are proposed. 

4.1. 

Proposed EU accompanying measures 

•  Promote  information-sharing  and  consultation  between  EU  Member  States  and  EU 
institutions with a view to developing a shared understanding and common approaches as 
regards the Horn of Africa. 

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•  Maintain  and  develop  effective  use  of  existing  EU  instruments  to  support  improved 
coordination  and  dialogue,  including  Troika  missions,  joint  EU  Council/Commission 
missions  and  EU  Special  Representatives.  In  particular,  the  EU  could  promote  the 
International Partners Forum (IPF) as a forum for dialogue with IGAD. 

•  Make full use of Article 8 of the Cotonou Partnership Agreement to facilitate and advance 
dialogue  with  key  actors  (national  governments,  regional  organisations).  The  EU  should 
ensure  that  Article  8  political  dialogue  will  include  a  strong  focus  on  regional  issues,  in 
particular the regional implications of actions by individual states.  

•  Promote  the  micro  and  meso  level  of  conflict  prevention,  management  and  resolution, 

including non-state actor structures. 

•  Include  discussion  of  relevant  Horn  of  Africa  issues  in  talks  and  contacts  with  key 
stakeholders  in  the  wider  African  and  Arab  region,  particularly  Egypt,  the  Arab  Gulf 
States, the League of Arab States and Central and East Africa. 

•  Enhance dialogue and coordination on the Horn of Africa with the USA, Norway, Japan, 
Canada,  Russia  and  China.  In  addition,  there  should  be  structured  dialogue  with  the  UN 
and relevant agencies. 

•  Strengthen  the  mainstreaming  of  'human  security'  approach  including  human  and  social 
rights and gender, demographic issues and the environment (water, coastal zones and forest 
into 
sustainable  management,  desertification  and  adaptation 
development  programmes  and  promote  integration  by  the  partner  strategies  in  the  Horn 
region. 

to  climate  change) 

•  Dovetail all EU strategies, policies and programmes geared towards countries of the Horn 
of  Africa,  to  ensure  that  they  take  appropriate  account  of  key  regional  and  cross-cutting 
issues, and contribute effectively to the EU’s regional political partnership for the region. 
In its Country Strategy Papers for the countries of the Horn of Africa, the EU should place 
particular  emphasis  on  the  regional  context  and  analysis  as  well  as  an  assessment  of  the 
root causes of violent conflict. 

•  When  preparing  new  cooperation  strategies  with  the  Horn  of  Africa  and  IGAD,  the 
Commission will dovetail EDF 10 country and regional strategies (2008-2013) in support 
of the Regional Political partnership for the Horn of Africa. Wherever feasible, this will be 
complemented  by  support  from  EU  Member  States.  Governance,  natural  resources  and 
food security, education and regional integration focusing on infrastructure should be the 
main areas of cooperation underpinning country and regional strategies. 

4.2. 

Proposed Horn of Africa partners’ accompanying measures 

•  Debate  and  promote  the  regional  strategy  among  Member  States,  IGAD  Secretariat  and 
other policy organs and relevant regional players and civil society organisations in order to 
obtain a coordinated position and adherence on the part of all stakeholders.  

•  Regional  partners  and  organisations  would  have  to  be  open  to  systematic  dialogue  at  all 
levels on key regional challenges, e.g. governance, conflict, food security, trafficking and 
resource  sharing,  security  and  religious  fundamentalism,  and  be  engaged  in  identifying 
drivers of change. 

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•  Promote information-sharing and clarity of the respective roles of regional organisations, 
Horn of Africa partners, neighbouring countries and key regional stakeholders with a view 
to developing a shared vision. 

•  Horn  of  Africa  countries  and  regional  organisations  would  have  to  allocate  adequate 
resources  for  the  dialogue  and  the  work  programme,  and  operationalise  the  format  for 
enhanced dialogue with the European Union. 

•  Horn  of  Africa  partners  would  have  to  address  sources  of  conflict  and  promote  cross-
sectoral  cooperation  such  as,  for  example,  the  link  between  conflicts,  share  of  natural 
resources, pastoralists and food security. 

•  Implement  relevant  institutional  reforms  and  Member  States’  commitments  to  enable  the 

IGAD Secretariat to function adequately. 

•  Review and update the IGAD strategy and complete the IGAD sectoral strategy on peace 

and security. 

5. 

CONCLUSION 

This Communication implements the Africa Strategy by introducing an EU regional political 
partnership  for  the  Horn  of  Africa  based  on  an  analysis  of  the  key  regional  dynamics  and 
problems  in  the  Horn  region.  The  aim  of  the  partnership  is  to  promote  peace,  stability  and 
development in the region. It provides a political framework for concrete regional initiatives 
and  programmes  and  for  structured  and  open  dialogue  between  partners  at  all  levels. 
Implementation of the partnership will commence in 2007 and it will be jointly reviewed after 
two  years  to  take  stock  of  progress  in  delivery  of  the  work  programme  and  ensure  it  is 
updated and dovetailed to the conditions prevailing in the region. 

EN 

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   EN 

 
6. 

LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS 

Africa Livestock 
African Ministerial Conference on Water 
African Monitoring for the Environment and Sustainable Development 
African Peace Facility 
African Union 
Conflict Early Warning and Response Mechanism 
Common Market of Eastern and Southern Africa 
Comprehensive Peace Agreement 
Civil Society Forum  
Disarmament Demobilisation Reintegration 
East Africa Community 
Eastern Africa Standby Brigade 
European Commission 
Economic Partnership Agreement 
Eritrean People’s Liberation Front 
European Union 
Front pour la Restauration de l’Unité et de la Démocratie (Djibouti) 
International Contact Group (ICG) on Somalia 
Internally Displaced Person 
Intergovernmental Authority on Development 
IGAD Partners Forum 
Lord’s Resistance Army  

ALIVE: 
AMCOW: 
AMESD: 
APF: 
AU: 
CEWARN: 
COMESA: 
CPA: 
CSO: 
DDR: 
EAC: 
EASBRIG:: 
EC: 
EPA: 
EPLF: 
EU: 
FRUD: 
ICG: 
IDP: 
IGAD: 
IPF: 
LRA: 
MANPADS:  Man Portable Air Defence System 
MDGS: 
NBI: 
NDA: 
NEPAD: 
NGO: 
OECD DAC:  Organisation  for  Economic  Cooperation  and  Development  /  Development 

Millennium Development Goals 
Nile Basin Initiative 
National Democratic Alliance (Sudan) 
New Partnership for Africa’s Development 
Non-governmental organisation 

OLF: 
ONLF: 
RECSA: 
REFORM: 
RPF: 
SALW: 
SPLA: 
SRRC: 
SSR: 
TFG: 
TFIs: 
TPLF: 

Assistance Committee 
Oromo Liberation Front 
Ogaden National Liberation Front 
Regional Centre for Small Arms and Light Weapons 
Regional Food Security and Risk Management Programme 
Regional Political Framework 
Small Arms and Light Weapons 
Sudan People’s Liberation Army 
Somali Reconciliation and Restoration Council 
Security Sector Reform 
Transitional Federal Government  
Transitional Federal Institutions 
Tigrean People’s Liberation Front 

EN 

13 

   EN