THINK PIECE 12 Summary • Horn of Africa region is characterized by an erosion of the monopoly of force of states unable to provide effective security. Non-state actors are increasingly involved in contesting and using means of violence. The proliferation of non-state security providers has become a source of insecurity in the region. Reestablishing a functional monopoly of force by building states’ security capacity is therefore an absolute necessity. • addition, legitimizing the monopoly of force is critically needed. Promotion of good governance and democratization will be important to foster long-term peace and security. Partnering with oppressive regimes that advance the West’s short-term interests prolongs insecurity in the region. • a legitimate and functional monopoly of force is not, however, going to be an easy task in a region characterized by the absence of viable state institutions, weak economic structures, and the excessive proliferation of small arms and light weapons. The fact that such a process takes a long time should be recognized and short-term strategies need to be devised for specific local realities. 1 The Nexus of State Monopoly on Use of Force and Security in the Horn of Africa Kidist Mulugeta The Horn of Africa is one of the most unstable and highly militarized regions in Africa. 1 The region has been raven for decades by inter­state and intra-state conflicts posing serious security challenges. Somalia is in turmoil and South Sudan has been dealing with regular outbreaks of violence since its independence in 2011. Ethiopia and Eritrea have been unable to end their deadlocked border conflict. Sudan is contending with armed rebellions in its peripheries. Conflicts in the region are interlinked, often dragging one or more states into a vicious circle of instability. Supporting subversive groups in neighboring states has been a common trend. The unresolved border tension between Sudan and South Sudan has often translated into proxy warfare destabilizing both states and threatening the region’s wider security. The region is also facing emergent transnational security threats including terrorism. Security and security oversight institutions in most states are too weak to deal with traditional and emergent security threats in the region. Most of the states here exercise only tenuous control over the means of violence. In other words, they lack»the ability to centralize military power and prevent the use of violence by other parties on their territory.« 2 This, in turn, led to the proliferation of non-state security actors acting beyond the effective control of states, including armed militias, insurgent movements, paramilitary and terrorist groups. The control of states over»the ownership, allocation and movement of the means of violence« has also deeply eroded. As a result, the region is awash with small arms and light weapons, leading to a growing militarization of civilians. These factors have become a source of persistent insecurity undermining the capacity of states to provide public safety, enforce internal security, and protect their borders and citizens from external aggression. 3 1 The Horn of Africa region comprises Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Somalia, Su­dan and South Sudan. These states share common historical and cultural ties. The region is inhabited by over 200 million people, more than half of whom live below the poverty line. See Berouk Mesfin, 2011.»The Horn of Africa Security Complex,« in Roba Sharamo and Berouk Mesfin(eds.), Regional Security in the Post-Cold War Horn of Africa. Addis Ababa: Institute for Security Studies. 2 Naim, Moises 2013. The End of Power: From Boardrooms To Battlefields And Chur­ches To States, Why Being In Charge Isn‘t What It Used To Be. New York: Basic Books, p.115. 3 Public safety means»the capacity of the state or community to prevent crime or