http://m.voanews.com/a/saudi-arabia-african-allies-gulf-crisis/3260218.html
Saudi Arabia Looks to African Allies During Gulf Crises
March 29, 2016
Salem Solomon
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FILE - The official spokesman for the Saudi Ministry of Defense,
General Ahmed Hassan al-Assiri, speaks during a news conference in
Riyadh, March 26, 2015.
Saudi Arabia appears intent on reaching across the Red Sea to build
alliances in the Horn of Africa, where piracy, drug and weapons
smuggling, and terrorism threaten commerce in the world's busiest
shipping lanes.
This was evident during the Saudis' intervention in Yemen. Over the
past year, they built a coalition of African partners to help dislodge
Houthi rebels who were in control of most of the country, including
the capital, Sana'a.
Eritrea played a key role, although it was not technically part of the
Saudis' 12-nation coalition. Eritrea allowed the United Arab Emirates
to use an airbase and logistics hub in the port town of Assab. The two
countries also shared intelligence.
"Peace and stability in the Horn of Africa is very important for us,"
Brigadier General Ahmed al-Assiri, a military adviser for the Saudi
minister of defense, told VOA in a recent interview. "This is why we
coordinate with Eritrea, with Djibouti, with Ethiopia, with Somalia,
with the legitimate governments of Yemen and Sudan, to make sure that
this area is controlled and secured to avoid ... trans-border crimes."
Countering Iran
Analysts say the Saudis' interest in the Horn of Africa is an
extension of their intense competition with Iran for influence in the
Middle East.
FILE - A Shiite Houthi rebel holds his weapon as he attends a rally to
protest Saudi-led airstrikes, in Sanaa, Yemen, Aug. 24, 2015.
Phillip Smyth, a research associate at the University of Maryland and
an adjunct fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy,
says the Saudi diplomatic surge in Africa is specifically aimed at
countering Iranian influence.
"The Saudis are now aggressively reaching out to any state [in the
Horn of Africa and beyond] that may have actually had any contact with
the Iranians or have dealt with the Iranians," Smyth said, "in order
to bring them under their wing and demonstrate that [Saudi Arabia] can
actually function as a regional hegemon [significant regional power]."
Smyth noted the Saudi outreach includes Sudan, a historical ally of
Iran, which recently received approximately $5 billion in military aid
from Saudi Arabia and was part of the Saudi coalition in Yemen.
The Saudi arms deal with Sudan really is an accomplishment, Smyth
said, "in terms of countering [Iranian influence] in the African Horn
region."
There also are reports that Saudi Arabia has promised $50 million to
Somalia if Somalia severs diplomatic ties with Iran.
Same side as U.S.
Observers find these new alignments interesting because, from a
broader perspective, they put countries like Eritrea and Sudan on the
same side as the United States, which supports both the Saudi-led
coalition in Yemen and the coalition against Islamic State (IS). These
may be some of the few things Eritrea, Sudan and the U.S. agree on in
terms of international policy.
FILE - A Shiite fighter known as a Houthi stands guard in front of
buildings destroyed by a Saudi-led airstrike in Sana'a, Sept. 5, 2015.
In fighting IS, "the main jihadist enemy," Ambassador Herman Cohen, a
former assistant secretary of state for African affairs, says the
United States is "relying ... on Arab nations, especially the Sunni
Arab nations led by Saudi Arabia, the Emirates, Kuwait and Jordan."
"And here we have Eritrea aligning itself with the same coalition,"
Cohen told VOA. "So, therefore, the United States and Eritrea are on
the same side."
Cohen, who has long advocated improved U.S.-Eritrean relations,
believes Asmara and Washington can develop closer ties if current
trends continue.
"Eritrea and the United States should be working together and not be
angry at each other and not having normal relations," he said. "It
doesn't make sense for either side."
In an interview on Eritrean national television in January, Eritrean
President Isaias Afwerki seemed to hint at a willingness for increased
regional engagement.
"Without taking limit, scope and size into consideration,
collaboration of the regional countries is key," he said, referring to
Eritrea's involvement in the Yemen coalition. "We can say that the
announcement of this Saudi-led anti-terrorism effort is a small part
of a bigger plan."
Salem Solomon
Salem Solomon is a journalist and a web producer at Voice of America’s
Horn of Africa Service. She has over seven years of experience in
television, radio, online and print journalism. Her work has been
featured in The New York Times, Reuters, The Tampa Bay Times.
Received on Wed Mar 30 2016 - 13:30:51 EDT