T(h)reating borders and population in the Horn of Africa: a deficit of attention

In the Horn of Africa, demographic and political changes have always influenced each other. However, most of the analyses neglect to include the demographic aspect. The case of Eritrea and Ethiopia is emblematic in this sense, because over time they have triggered a vicious circle between population’s dynamics and structure, leading Eritrea to be a depopulated country and Ethiopia having to manage internal tensions, deriving also from the youth bulge. Therefore, the peace process underway should be a first step to reverse the trend and start a virtuous circle, based also on adequate population policies.