State-building: an overlooked approach for regional integration in the horn of Africa

The study perceives the ‘state’ as a collection of various institutions that execute core functions that are all basic for the survival of a certain political community. Based on this definition, state-building refers to the process of constructing new institutions, reconstructing old institutions, and consolidating the existing state institutions for the protection of social cohesion and the promotion of economic development and political stability within a given state. Accordingly, the principal objective of this study is to examine the symbiosis between state-building and regional integration in the Horn of Africa by taking the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) Member States as a Case Study. The researchers argue that any attempt at regional integration will never be achieved in regions that consist of weak, failed, or fragile states. Unlike other regions in Africa and elsewhere, regional integration in the Horn of Africa is at an early stage, as the region is dominated by fragile and insecure states. The study used both primary and secondary data to reveal the symbiosis between state-building and regional integration.