Turmoil in the Middle East, growing rivalry about regional influence, piracy from Somalia and the war in Yemen have made Africa's Horn a core strategic interest for the Gulf states. Between 2000 and 2017 Gulf states invested $13bn in the Horn of Africa (Clingendael Institute). Closer relations across the Red Sea can improve intra-African relationship and cooperation with the Gulf states, but how can African states on the Horn resist unwarranted interferences in their internal policy decisions and ensure they get the best deal for themselves?

In the panel:

Redie Bereketeab is a senior researcher and associate professor at the Nordic Africa Institute. Bereketeab has done extensive research on conflict and state building in the Horn of Africa.

Stig Jarle Hansen, professor at NMBU. Hansen has written on the geopolitics of the Horn of Africa and geographically his main focus is the wider Red Sea region, Yemen, Somalia, Eritrea, Ethiopia and Kenya.

Jens-Petter Kjemprud, ambassador to Nigeria. Was ambassador to Ethiopia from 2006-2010, ambassador to Sudan from 2012-2014 and Norway's special envoy to Sudan and South Sudan from 2014-2016.

Moderator for the event will be Yohan Shanmugaratnam, international news reporter in Klassekampen.

The event is free and open to all!