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MILITARY POWER AS FOREIGN POLICY INSTRUMENT: ETHIOPIA’S PEACEKEEPING ROLE IN THE HORN OF AFRICA [Abstract ID: 0904-04]
As of October 2017, Ethiopia sends 8,409 troops, police force and military experts to UN peacekeeping missions mostly in the Horn of Africa. This makes Ethiopia the biggest peacekeeping personal contributor in the world followed by India and Rwanda. Currently, Ethiopia sends contingent troops, police and military experts to Darfur, South Sudan, Abyei, Haiti and Mali. Ethiopia is also sending troops to African Union Mission in Somalia and Ethiopian National Defense Forces stationed bilaterally in Somalia which is outside Ethiopia’s contribution to AMISOM.In my presentations, I will examine the reasons why Ethiopia is sending troops to peacekeeping missions despite domestic security crises. I will analyse what is more than economic benefits for the army personals who are participating in foreign missions, which is related to Ethiopian foreign policy in the region. I argue Ethiopian hegemonic foreign policy especially in the area of security is essential for the region’s stability, most importantly in the regional conflict management, contributing peacekeeping forces in Somalia, South Sudan and Sudan. I will explain Ethiopia is not only leading as one of the world’s largest troop-contributing countries to UN peacekeeping but that it is also breaking new ground in influencing innovative international deployment and mandate development strategies.