Tigray Crisis: A Case Study of Geopolitical Competition in the Horn of Africa

Abstract

Promoting economic and political interests, maintaining balance of power at the global level, and influencing others to protect state and regime security are some of the reasons why global powers contend with each other internationally. By using the Tigray crisis in northern Ethiopia as a case study and analysing it based on neo-realism principles, this article explores the competition between global and regional powers and their political, economic and security ramifications for the Horn of Africa. The article argues that by framing the Tigray crisis in a contradictory way and responding to it differently, global powers are competing each other to project their power by embracing either a defensive or offensive realistic strategy. The findings also demonstrate that the contradictory strategy adopted by the major global powers and their conflicting behaviour are driven by their competing geostrategic interests in the Horn of Africa. Furthermore, the article explores the consequences of these geostrategic political rivalries and power competition on matters of sovereignty, security, and power dynamics in the region and beyond.