HORN POWERS FUEL CONFLICTS

External powers are deepening instability in the Horn of Africa, with Russia and several Middle Eastern states expanding military, political, and economic involvement in Sudan and Somalia. Ethiopia’s dispute with Somalia over access to Somaliland has pulled in Egypt and Turkey and raised the risk of a wider regional conflict. The rivalry is intensifying Red Sea competition while worsening conditions for local populations and complicating counterterrorism efforts. The broader pattern shows how foreign meddling is amplifying existing African political and security crises.