ABOUT THE CENTER
The Diplomacy and Foreign Relations Center is dedicated to advancing strategic thinking on issues of diplomacy and foreign relations in the Horn of Africa region. The Center conducts multi-disciplinary analyses of diplomatic challenges and opportunities, with particular focus on engagement with global powers and regional integration. Its work aims to strengthen the region’s diplomatic standing through high-quality research and policy recommendations that directly impact Horn of Africa countries. The Center’s outputs include bulletins, policy briefs, and books, alongside workshops, seminars, conferences, roundtable discussions, consultative meetings, and media engagements. It also draws on a roster of in-house experts, scholars, and practitioners on key issues in diplomacy and foreign relations.
The complex and often fragile diplomatic relationships between Horn of Africa nations demand sustained analytical attention. The Center has engaged directly with some of the region’s most consequential bilateral dynamics — including convening a Consultative Forum on Kenya–Somalia Relations, and producing a policy paper and bulletin on de-escalating Ethiopia–Eritrea tensions, titled Landlocked Geopolitics and Peacebuilding: Rethinking Ethiopia–Eritrea Relations. These outputs reflect the Horn Institute’s commitment to grounding diplomatic analysis in the lived realities of Horn of Africa states navigating sovereignty, access, and great-power competition
STRATEGIC CONTEXT
The transition toward a multipolar world order has turned the Horn of Africa into a focal point of great-power competition. Nations in the region must navigate the competing interests of the United States, China (via the Belt and Road Initiative), Russia, the European Union, and increasingly assertive Gulf states
EXPANDED RESEARCH DOMAINS
Transactional Diplomacy and Shifting Alliances
Tracking how Horn nations balance competing foreign investments and political pressures from extra-regional hegemons.
Economic Diplomacy and Sovereign Debt
Analyzing the implications of foreign debt, port concessions, and transnational infrastructure projects on national sovereignty.
Intergovernmental Frameworks
Evaluating the efficacy and structural reform needs of regional blocs such as IGAD, the EAC, and the African Union.
Hydro-Politics and Resource Diplomacy
Navigating international law and diplomatic negotiations surrounding shared transboundary resources, notably the Nile River basin.
METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH & POLICY IMPACT
The Center publishes research through bulletins, policy briefs, and books; holds workshops, seminars, conferences, roundtable discussions, consultative meetings, and media appearances. The Center provides in-house expertise, scholars, and practitioners on key issues in diplomacy and foreign relations, aiming to strengthen the region’s diplomatic standing through high-quality research and actionable policy recommendations.
FEATURED ANALYSIS
