(Abstract)

In the introduction it raises that the Horn of Africa which is prone to conflict, famine, displacement of population, refugees and total instability has garnered all the recipes for labeling a country or state ‘fragile’, ‘weak’, ‘failing’, ‘critically weak’, ‘failed’, or ‘collapsed’ depending which country, donor organization or think thank is utilizing the term. It emphasizes that there is no general agreement on the labeling because some look at it from economic prism, while some look at it from security, human rights and political prisms.

It tries to put the concept in historical context by analyzing the formation of nation states within Africa and the world at large. And then tries to define the concept fragile and failed state based on legitimacy of the state and its ability to provide public goods to its citizens. The level of fragility and failure is analyzed from different studies conducted recently on the measurement of state fragility or failure. Security of the Horn is explored given the level of failure and fragility of each country of the Horn. In conclusion, a set of recommendations are cite on how to intervene in countries labeled fragile or failed states in the era of globalization.