Ethiopia's Approach to Counterterrorism in the Horn of Africa

Abstract or Introduction

This work tries to analyse how Ethiopia has combated against the threat posed by terrorism both domestically and regionally in the Horn of African region. It describes the contribution of the various socio-economic and political developments in relation to counter-terrorism efforts of the country. It assesses the various counter-terrorism measures employed by Ethiopia at national, regional, and international levels. The author also provides an analysis of opportunities, challenges, and limitations relevant to the implementation of counter-terrorism measures in Ethiopia.

Terrorism is a real and urgent threat to the Ethiopian interests. Terrorism and political violence are not new challenges in Ethiopia. They have long been used by groups espousing a wide variety of causes, including national self-determination or separatism, and violent religious extremism. In the last two decades, counterterrorism has come to the fore of Ethiopia’s National Security issues. It has employed effective counterterrorism measures and is doing uncompromising efforts to thwart this challenging threat. However, although progress has been made in countering terrorist attacks and in understanding its underlying causes, terrorism still remains one of the most serious challenges facing Ethiopia.