Abstract:
: This article investigates the potential impact of the reforms sweeping across Ethiopia on the Horn of Africa state system. Under the leadership of Prime Minister Abiy Ahmed, Ethiopia is currently undergoing signi?cant reforms that will have regional implications. Two announcements stand out: the normalization of relations with the northern neighbor Eritrea and the signing of a peace deal with the domestically based Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF). This article foregrounds territorial contestation as one of the historical causes of uncertainty in the Horn of Africa. The article argues that the current wave of reforms has the potential to transcend the uncertainty that has previously characterized the region. However, for uncertainty to be minimized, the transformation has to extend beyond Ethiopia. In examining the thawing of relations between Ethiopia and Eritrea and the ONLF, the article seeks to historicizes and contextualize the current wave of changes and to underscore their signi?cance.
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