Organizers:
Hargeisa Cultural Center, Somaliland
Centro de Estudos Africanos of the University of Porto (CEAUP), Portugal
The Conference seeks to explore the geopolitical and historical issues of the Horn and Red Sea littoral conundrum and to chart emergent trajectories. It is an open call to all contributors, both early-career and senior scholars, based in and outside of the Horn countries. The objective being to critically discuss what was and is at stake in this part of the world: the role of foreign powers, regional and domestic actors and the trends of political and economic paths developing in the region.
The principal objective is to discuss the present-day political and socioeconomic dynamics in this wider region, comprising the Horn of Africa itself and the countries separated from it by the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. In this sense, we focus on a cross-regional approach instead of a narrower geographical definition.
The conference will highlight the relevance of the concepts of flow and identity in discussing the Horn of Africa. Flow is critical due to the necessity for efficient and cost-effective international trade logistics. Landlocked nations require reliable road and railway corridors to access seaports, which significantly reduce shipping costs and facilitate global trade. In the Horn of Africa, trade largely depends on two ports: Somaliland relies solely on Berbera port, while Ethiopia, cut off from the sea since Eritrea's independence in 1993, largely depends on the Djibouti port, which accounted for over 95% of its external trade in 2016. Ethiopia, the most populous nation in the region, aims to enhance the utilization of the Berbera Corridor—a 937 km (582 miles) asphalt road—where it holds a 19% stake in the joint venture operating the port.
The dynamics surrounding the port of Berbera and its intricate geopolitical context extend beyond local interests. Berbera, under a concession from Dubai Ports World, has attracted a significant investment of $320 million from the UK's CDC Group. Simultaneously, China has intensified its financial engagement in Ethiopia, while major global powers view the Red Sea as strategically vital. The presence of military bases from the U.S., China, Turkey, and the UAE in the region underscores this significance. As the Indian Ocean's prominence increases, the power struggles in the Red Sea and the intricate political landscape surrounding the Berbera Corridor are poised to present further geopolitical challenges.
Observing the sociopolitical dynamics on both sides of the Red Sea, as turbulent as it is, one can't help but think of different kind of flows as the ‘blood and bone’ of such dynamics.
The examples of such material flows include, but are not limited to:
- Flows of international commodities, including carbohydrates
- Flows of capital and investment;
- Cash flows, including remittances to home countries;
- Flows of agricultural products
People and ideas flow in larger numbers within the Horn of Africa, shaping the region's intricate dynamics. The Horn of Africa also has vast and active diasporas that play crucial roles in the political and economic developments of their homelands. Somalis in Greater London, Ethiopians and Eritreans in the metropolitan suburbs of Washington, D.C., and Yemenis in Dubai are just a few examples of such influential transnational communities. The digital age has empowered these communities to engage with their countries of origin more directly than ever before. This raises an important question: what is the relationship between digital communications and the diaspora's involvement in their respective nations?
Another key factor in the region's current landscape is the rise of political Islam, particularly in Somalia and Yemen but also in other Horn of Africa countries. What impact does this political awakening have on regional politics? Is there a possibility that political Islam could replace the concept of the “nation” or the “state” as the primary organizing institution in the region? Exploring the trajectories of political Islam leads to further inquiries: can it collaborate with modern secular institutions in its homelands, or can it integrate with individuals and movements
outside its traditional framework? These are pressing questions that need a thorough examination to understand the future of governance and identity in the Horn of Africa. This latter question is, of course, closely linked with the issue of Identities, Islamic and other ones. What, as we also believe, deserves special attention at the discussion table is how those faith-based identities interplay with the ones centered on ethnicity, clan, ‘tribe’, etc., in particular when it comes to the competition for the hearts and minds between various political actors. And where can we define the role and place of language while trying to ‘map’ the political aspects of different kinds of identities? How is the factor of linguistic heterogeneity being politicized?
We encourage panel conveners to explore this concept from a multitude of perspectives, as we have no limitations on the thematic range of proposals.
The primary objective of this conference is to select contributions for publication in a Special Issue of Africana Studia, the flagship journal of CEAUP. Additionally, we aim to establish a robust research network within the Red Sea Littoral. Our goal is to connect academic institutions and individual scholars from various regions worldwide, particularly the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea area, some of whom are already members of the Organizing Board for this event.
Given the complexity of the Red Sea/Horn of Africa study area, there is an extensive range of prioritized issues that reflect diverse perspectives. In light of this, the Organizing Board has designed the conference in two phases, with the initial phase being a Call for Panels. Hence, Call for Panels is now open.
Panel Proposals:
The panel proposals should indicate title and a short description between 800 and 1,000 characters.
Panel proposals must be addressed to either of the following emails:
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Time frame of Conference:
- Call for panels - deadline 30 January 2025
- Notification of acceptance - 13 February 2025
- Call for papers - 15 February 2025
- Notification of acceptance - 20 June 2025.
If you have any questions before submitting your proposal, feel free to email us (see email contacts above).
Tirsit Yetbarek
Aaron Tesfaye,
Alexander Zhukov,
Maciel Santos
