History is the record of past events. It is shaped daily by the actions, decisions, and thoughts of peoples, countries and regions. Today’s events between the Horn of Africa States and the Gulf will become tomorrow’s history, impacting future relations. This article examines how current decisions will affect both parties and the better way for both regions.

History is being made and at present it appears to be in favor of the Gulf countries who, with their enormous hydrocarbon-driven economies, wield a lot of financial power and influence over the  Horn of Africa States. It appears that this does not take into consideration that there could be a reversal of roles tomorrow or sometime in the future. The world works in cycles.

We have seen in our live time the bipolar world of NATO and Warsaw Pact and the collapse, thereafter, of that bipolar world, followed by the unipolar world, when NATO played supreme, and we now see discussions of an emerging multipolar world. The BRICS Plus grouping, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the continuing NATO, and others point to a world with several power centers.

The influences of the Gulf countries over the Horn of Africa States are, in the main economic and security related, and appear to mimic the Western style of dominating others. The old histories of both regions, when the Horn African States were economically stronger, is no longer in the minds of the populations of the Gulf or so it seems.

However, one cannot lump all the Gulf countries into one block although the name does make them a singular region to reckon with. Gulf countries do not pursue the same Gulf-oriented policies towards the region or for that matter any other region. It would appear there are only three countries that deeply involve themselves in the affairs of the Horn of Africa States region and they compete among themselves, as to perhaps who can do most harm, in the eyes of the Horn African citizens. They are the UAE, Qatar and Saudi Arabia.

The two regions, indeed, share a long history of trade, faith, and some cultural ties, which go back to the prime of time, but unlike other countries where Arabs went, when they were carrying the enormous Islamic faith flag, they were not........

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