It is suggested that the return to Africa most likely happened through (1) North Africa and the Sahara and (2) along the Indian Ocean from the Arabian peninsula or a more southern point of departure through the Swahili coast, Madagascar, or via the Cape of Good Hope through the Atlantic West coast ending up in the Bight of Benin and West Africa. [...] Thirdly, The Real Politics of the Horn of Africa captures three decades of research and policy involvement in the Horn of Africa by the author. [...] Ignoring the role of political ideas in the Horn of Africa appears shortsighted, given the prominence and continued relevance of Marxist-Leninist doctrine and political practice in Ethiopia and Eritrea as well as the importance of political Islam in Sudan and Somalia.4 This said, the ‘political marketplace’ framework provides important insights into the rationality of political entrepreneurs in co. [...] Among the factors that contributed to Somaliland’s unique state building history are the little and diversified political budget that was in play, the authorities’ reliance on domestic support in the absence of international recognition or rents, livestock and other traders’ interest in keeping the Berbera corridor peaceful, and the inclusive nature of the peace conferences of the early 1990s. [...] On the positive side, de Waal impresses the reader with his writing style, his knowledge of the region, his ability to generalize and theorize and his many critical insights into the nature of elite politics, recurring ‘rent-seeking rebellions’, the hidden rationales of peace bargaining or the transformation of intellectual life in the region.
- Pages
- 24
- Published in
- Dakar, Senegal
