Conflict and State Security in the Horn of Africa: Militarization of Civilian Groups

The Horn of Africa experiences conflicts that set states against states and communities against communities resulting in political turbulence and human tragedy. This situation is connected with the inability of states to pursue rational policies that call for social cohesion. Governments and dis- sident political movements induce civilians to become accomplices of sense- less wars. Thus, conversion of civilian populations into military and para- military groups is a common feature of this region. Some communities take advantage of the proliferation of modern weapons to arm themselves for cattle rustling, banditry and taking revenge. Civilians participate in differ- ent capacities in military-like activities in areas affected by armed violence. Prospects for containing civilian militarization depend on concerted pres- sure of civil societies and the international community on states and armed opposition movements to seek peaceful settlement of disputes. The paper argues that stakeholders in conflict situations should be persuaded to pro- mote dialogue leading to agreements, subsequent demobilisation of ex-com- batants and disarmament of civilian groups. Therefore, prospects for social stability depend on how communities and states consider that their secu- rity is guaranteed. Introduction The Horn of Africa is known for decades as one of the hottest geographical spaces of internal dissidence and interstate conflicts. Africa's longest civil wars occur in this region (Assefa, 1999). This was the case of the Eritrean war of liberation against Ethiopian regimes. The civil war in Sudan is another civil war that is associated in one way or the other with the region. States have disintegrated in the Horn. The emergence of Eritrea and the pro- longed absence of a recognised government in Somalia constitute the basis of anxiety in the community of states in that part of Africa. States affected