What’s Really Going on in the Horn?

About this episode

The episode discusses the forces driving instability in the Horn of Africa, focusing on domestic politics and external influences.

In this episode of The Horn , Alan is joined by Moses Chrispus Okello, Senior Researcher at the Institute of Security Studies, to unpack the common forces driving instability across the Horn of Africa and where the region might be headed. They discuss how today’s crises across the Horn of Africa are rooted primarily in domestic politics, even as they are increasingly shaped and intensified by outside powers competing for influence as the region becomes more entangled in Red Sea geopolitics. They examine Ethiopia’s central place in the region, how its push for sea access is raising tensions with neighbours and the prospects for wider regional realignments. Finally, they explore what stabilisation might require, from reducing proxy competition to rebuilding regional diplomacy. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Alan

Guest: Moses Chrispus Okello

Topics covered

• instability in the Horn of Africa
• domestic politics
• geopolitics
• Ethiopia's sea access
• regional diplomacy
• proxy competition

Keywords

• Horn of Africa
• instability
• Ethiopia
• geopolitics
• regional diplomacy
• proxy competition
• Moses Chrispus Okello

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Institute of Security Studies

Places: Horn of Africa, Ethiopia, Red Sea

More episodes of The Horn

• Mediating the Horn’s Wars: An Exit Interview · June 12, 2026 · 33 min
• Tiny Djibouti, and Its Prime Real Estate · June 4, 2026 · 27 min
• Sudan, and a Region and World in Upheaval · May 15, 2026 · 36 min
• Somalia’s Election Standoff and New Inflection Point · April 30, 2026 · 36 min
• Bonus Episode: After Three Years of War in Sudan, What Hope for a Ceasefire? · April 9, 2026 · 42 min
• How the Iran War is Reshaping the Region · April 2, 2026 · 37 min