Cooperation Under Asymmetrical Order: a Gulf – Horn Cooperation for Peace and Development

Abstract This article seeks to analyze a prospective Gulf-Horn Africa cooperation for peace and development in the greater Red Sea. It examines the form and context of cooperation under an asymmetrical order. The rationality is a contention that the Gulf and Horn form an intrinsic security architecture. Peace and development are necessary conditions for common security. These are to be achieved through cooperation and integration. The paper underscores the necessity of cooperation for peace and development in the regions. The Gulf region and the Horn of Africa are tied by common history, religion, culture, trade, and migration that could facilitate cooperation and regionalization. These ties are further buttressed by the geostrategic location of the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden that constitute a focus of great power attraction. This strategic location also renders it a high security risk. Interventions that span colonialism, the Cold War, and the global war on terror eras have defined the volatility of the regions. The paper argues that the asymmetry of relationship is a bottleneck for a genuine functioning interregional cooperation.