Abstract
Using the concept of ‘strategies of extraversion’ as an analytical framework, this paper argues that governments in the developing world exploit Western concerns about security, especially US anti-terrorism policies, as a domestic policy instrument. The paper focuses on Ethiopia’s 2006 military intervention in Somalia to argue that Ethiopia’s active role in the fight against terrorism is centered on the regime’s domestic concerns. By successfully positioning itself as a key Western ally in the turbulent Horn of Africa, the Ethiopian Government has redefined external perception especially in the wake of the highly contested election of May 2005. The regime has managed to delegitimize internal opposition under the pretense of fighting terrorism; at the same time it became impervious to criticism from Western countries of its human rights records and democratic credentials. On the basis of the case study, the paper contributes to the analysis of Western/US relations with developing governments in the context of GWOT, and more broadly to the debate on the trade-off between security and the promotion of democracy in the third world. Key words: Ethiopia, horn of Africa, war on terror, 'extraversion', foreign aid.
Highlights
Yonas Ketsela MulatUsing the concept of ‘strategies of extraversion’ as an analytical framework, this paper argues that governments in the developing world exploit Western concerns about security, especially US anti-terrorism policies, as a domestic policy instrument
On the eve of Christmas Day 2006, roughly a month after Ethiopia officially declared war on the Islamic Court Union (ICU) and in a dramatic escalation of hostilities; Ethiopian Air Force jets bombed Mogadishu International Airport
The previous parts discussed how the relationship between the Ethiopian People‟s Revolutionary Democratic Front (EPRDF) and the USA has been impacted by the GWOT
Summary
Using the concept of ‘strategies of extraversion’ as an analytical framework, this paper argues that governments in the developing world exploit Western concerns about security, especially US anti-terrorism policies, as a domestic policy instrument. The paper focuses on Ethiopia’s 2006 military intervention in Somalia to argue that Ethiopia’s active role in the fight against terrorism is centered on the regime’s domestic concerns. The regime has managed to delegitimize internal opposition under the pretense of fighting terrorism; at the same time it became impervious to criticism from Western countries of its human rights records and democratic credentials. On the basis of the case study, the paper contributes to the analysis of Western/US relations with developing governments in the context of GWOT, and more broadly to the debate on the trade-off between security and the promotion of democracy in the third world
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