• Heritage Action   • Heritage Libertad   • More  July 13, 1977
Conflict in the Horn of Africa   (Archived document, may contain
errors)  24 July 13, 1977 CONFLICT IN THE HORN OF AFRICA The
Horn of Africa comprises those nations on the north eastern
coast of the African continent that border the R ed Sea and its
outlet into the Gulf of Aden (and, thence, to the Indian Ocean
The most important nations here are Ethiopia, Sudan, Somalia,
and most recently, the newly in dependent Republic of Djibouti.
Although the area is of little importance economica l ly these
nations are among the poorest in the world in recent years
interna1.h stability, increasingly strained relations among the
Horn nations, a strengthened Soviet presence, and a weakening
American role in the area have all contributed to the im port a
nce of the Horn in international politics. Despite the poverty
and weakness of these countries, their loca tion controls
passage from the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and from the
Mediterranean to the Indian O