The Department of EU International Relations and Diplomacy Studies at the College of Europe held the twelfth annual “EU Diplomacy Lectures” in Bruges on Thursday, 16 October 2025, followed by a short Q&A session.
Dr Annette WEBER, EU Special Representative to the Horn of Africa
“Diplomacy for Peace: The EU’s Multifaceted Engagement in the Horn of Africa”
The Horn of Africa has over the past decade become a theatre for great – and middle – power competition. The Horn is nowadays a key area of attention for the neighbouring Gulf, while actors from further afield are taking interest as well. The Horn is thus feeling the impact of a global geo-political landscape that is increasingly characterised by a tilt towards multipolarity, away from the multilateralism which is deep in the EU’s DNA. This has required the EU to adapt in its response to the various crises in the region. Many of the current conflicts in the Horn go back decades, but they require new approaches in this post-rules-based world order.
Over the last years, the Horn of Africa itself has continued to witness the ebb and flow of peace and conflict. Some developments have given hope, such as the Pretoria agreement ending the war in Tigray (Ethiopia) and the resolution of the diplomatic conflict between Somalia and Ethiopia about the so-called ‘MoU’ granting Ethiopia port access via Somaliland. Sudan, however, has entered its third year of war and the scale of human suffering, including a manmade famine, continues to be unprecedented. Nearly two thirds of Sudan’s population is in dire need of humanitarian assistance (circa 30 million people), including 16 million children.
The war in Sudan, but also the growing confidence of Al Shabaab in Somalia, increasingly affect the EU’s own security and economic interests in the Red Sea. It is essential to find ways to ensure freedom of navigation through this critical global waterway, and new multilateral frameworks might be needed for this after all.
The Lecture was livestreamed. It was followed by a drinks reception.
About the speaker
Dr Annette WEBER has been the EU Special Representative to the Horn of Africa since July 2021. She is a leading expert on the Horn of Africa with more than 25 years of experience in the region advising German decision makers at the highest level. At the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), she was since 2007 Senior Fellow in the Africa and Middle East Research Division, serving as Head of Department from 2012-2014. She was engaged in mediation in Sudan and Ethiopia as Senior Advisor for the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (2019-2021) as well as for the Berghof Foundation (2014- 2019). Before joining SWP, Annette WEBER was Coordinator and Head of Office for the Ecumenical Network for the African Great Lakes region (2003-2006). From 1996-2003 she held several positions, including Head Researcher (Sudan, Somalia) with Amnesty International and Head of Mission for Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch.
EUSR WEBER has also lectured as Professor in Conflict Studies, International Relations and African International Relations at various universities in Germany, Austria and Spain. From 2010-2012 she worked as a consultant in residence in Addis Ababa. She has published extensively on peace and security in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea arena.
Annette WEBER holds a PhD and MA in Political Science from the Free University of Berlin.
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