European analysts worry that conflict in the Middle East could be a destabilizing factor in already volatile regions of the African continent.

"If the conflict between Israel and Iran escalates further, there is a risk that the various interconnected wars around the Red Sea could also expand," Hendrik Maihack, of the German Friedrich Ebert Foundation (FES), told DW.

He says the greatest danger would be to the Horn of Africa, a region "currently in its deepest crisis in nearly 30 years."

"Iran cooperates with the Houthi rebels in Yemen, who, in turn, also collaborate with the Al-Shabab militia in Somalia," Maihack says, adding such interconnected alliances are the reason Germany and Europe must look beyond the wars in the Middle East and Ukraine. With conflicts across Africa "increasing than decreasing" — there could be consequences for Europe.

"Where foreign policy attention and resources for humanitarian and development cooperation diminish, many African countries fear falling further out of the spotlight of Western support," Maihack says.

Guido Lanfranchi from the Clingendael Institute for International Relations in the Netherlands told DW the cooperation........

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