ORSAM Global Powers Talks | The EU in the Horn of Africa: Challenges, Opportunities

2 minute reading time

Moderator:

• Kadir Temiz – President, ORSAM

Speaker:

• Annette Weber – Special Representative for the Horn of Africa, EU

Date & Time: 20.01.2026 – 10.00

Venue: ORSAM Conference Hall

Note: The panel will be conducted in English

The Horn of Africa has emerged as one of the most strategically complex regions in the contemporary international system. Ongoing conflicts, fragile political transitions, maritime security challenges in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, humanitarian crises, and intensifying global power competition have pushed the region to the forefront of intersecting regional and global agendas.

Within this evolving landscape, the European Union has emerged as a significant external actor, engaging through diplomacy, security cooperation, development assistance, and crisis management mechanisms. The EU’s approach seeks to balance stability and reform, conflict management and long-term development, while navigating both coordination and competition with regional actors and other global powers active in the Horn of Africa.

This event will examine the EU’s strategic engagement in the Horn of Africa, focusing on the policy tools it employs, the constraints it faces on the ground, and the opportunities for more effective cooperation. The discussion will also address how EU policies interact with regional dynamics and broader geopolitical shifts, including maritime security, multilateral crisis response, and partnerships with African and international stakeholders.

Bringing together diplomatic insight and policy analysis, the panel aims to contribute to an informed debate on the future trajectory of EU engagement in the Horn of Africa and its implications for regional stability and international cooperation.