Home to numerous ethnic groups and to adherents of both Christianity and Islam, the Horn of Africa has in recent history seen both emerging expectations and shattered dreams. Interactions between actors on various levels have a longstanding history on the Horn, producing patterns of both shared communality and conflict. In recent years, however, interactions have been dominated by the latter variants, where inter-state wars and internal fighting within the Horn have caused much human suffering, waves of refugees and a general state of instability.
Similarly, the situation on the Horn has had clear impact on the world beyond the Horn. This is first of all seen through large communities of Somali refugees struggling to cope with living in exile, yet remaining attached to their homeland. Secondly, with the so-called War on Terror, the Horn has received renewed attention, where Somalia has been accused of being both a safe haven and a place for recruitment for radical Islamist movements.
