Saharan Stalemate: Self-Determination, Sovereignty, and Regional Rivalries

HORN REVIEW2025-05-19T08:31:11+00:00 For too long, colonial legacy has shaped Africa in profound and enduring ways. Contested border disputes, economic exclusions, and struggles for self-determination have been the determining aspects of the geopolitical landscape of Africa. Nowhere is that legacy clearer than in Western Sahara, whose protracted conflict...

From Borderlands to Bedrock: Turkey’s Deepening Influence in Syria

HORN REVIEW2025-05-19T08:24:54+00:00 The abrupt dramatic shift in Syria's political landscape, with the recent fall of Bashar al-Assad's decades-long regime, has brought a new era to the region's complex dynamics. Ankara did not lead the swift offensive that accelerated this shift in itself. Turkey's tacit support and pivotal...

Baghdad Summit 2025: Symbolic Unity Amid Strategic Fragmentation

HORN REVIEW2025-05-23T13:41:21+00:00 The 2025 Arab League Summit in Baghdad comes at a time of renewed crisis in Gaza and shifting regional dynamics. As Israel resumes military operations and Arab leaders reaffirm support for Gaza’s reconstruction without displacement, the summit reflects symbolic unity but limited strategic influence. Iraq’s role...

Why President Trump Should Take His Peace-making Initiative to the Horn of Africa

HORN REVIEW2025-05-17T08:19:59+00:00 Now back in office, President Trump has intensified his trademark “deal-making” approach, engaging states across the Middle East, Asia, and Europe in pursuit of nuclear, trade, and ceasefire agreements. As the 45th President, his tenure included several commendable diplomatic efforts. Namely, through the Abraham Accords,...

Would That Be Africa? Rethinking the Continent’s Role in U.S. Critical Mineral Security

HORN REVIEW2025-05-16T11:40:44+00:00 As global competition for critical minerals intensifies, the U.S. remains gripped by its heavy reliance on China. This dependency has fueled strategic anxiety since the Trump administration. Especially, Beijing's recent export controls on processed rare earth elements, implemented in response to U.S. tariffs, have further...

Capitalizing on Geopolitical Disruption: Africa’s Opportunity for Economic Sovereignty

HORN REVIEW2025-05-15T21:12:39+00:00 Paul Kagame's recent statement cuts to the core of Africa's economic predicament. He questions the fundamental fairness of global financial practices. He argues, "Why should someone print paper and hand them over to us (AFRICA) and require us to pay back, not with another paper...

The Strange Case of Socotra: The Uncertain Fate Status Remains Unresolved

HORN REVIEW2025-05-16T12:19:33+00:00 Socotra a land of dragon’s blood trees and white sand dunes is caught in a silent tug of war between continents, empires, and forgotten histories. Officially part of Yemen, this UNESCO listed paradise has long been about in Somali folklore as Suqadara, a lost fragment of...

From Brexit to Brussels: Farage and the Far Right’s European Reawakening

HORN REVIEW2025-05-12T11:31:49+00:00 Europe is witnessing an unexpected surge of populist, nationalist forces at a moment of deep economic and social strain. Slow rate of growth, inflationary pressures and simmering cultural anxieties have driven voters toward parties that promise simple solutions to complex problems. In many countries this...

Neutrality with Purpose: South Africa’s Role in the Geopolitics of the Russia-Ukraine War

HORN REVIEW2025-05-12T07:16:29+00:00 South Africa has navigated the Russia-Ukraine war with a deliberate non-aligned posture rooted in its anti-apartheid alliance with the Soviet Union and its commitment to multilateral conflict resolution. From the conflict’s escalation in February 2022 through early 2025, Pretoria has consistently emphasized dialogue, adherence to...

Are We Witnessing a Shake-Up in US–Egypt Relations?

HORN REVIEW2025-05-12T07:08:18+00:00 The past hundred days of Trump’s administration have revealed a growing rift between Cairo and Washington over the future of Gaza and free passage of the U.S. in the Suez Canal. Trump has actively pressured both Egypt and Jordan to accept displaced Palestinians from Gaza,...