Realists' Paradise: Crises, Conflicts, and Interventions in the Horn of Africa

The thesis examines the claims of realist theory in international relations in regard to the role and motives of states, international institutions, and other non-state actors. It does so by studying four cases of foreign interventions in crises and conflicts in the Horn of Africa since the end of the Cold War. The cases are: Somalia 1992-1995; UNMEE, the 2006 Ethiopian invasion in Somalia, and the anti-piracy mission in Somalia waters from 2008 onward. This thesis finds that realism accurately predicts the weak role of international institutions in interventions. The theory is also to a certain extent correct on the motives that drive states to act or to refrain from acting. Where the theory is weakest is in regard to the role of non-state actors, which is much stronger and more decisive than realism claims.