Science and geopolitics: what is Switzerland looking for in the Horn of Africa?

Nowhere else in the world do corals grow as well as on the coast of Djibouti, this small country in the Horn of Africa located at the southern end of the Red Sea. While the volcanic mountains of the Gulf of Tadjoura are dark and soaring, and only a few sailboats can be seen in the distance, a fascinating spectacle plays out underwater. Coral structures with vibrant colors and shapes shelter an incomparable vital wealth.

Two years ago, a research expedition carried out deep into these underwater landscapes and in which Switzerland also participated aimed to dive into the waters and collect samples of unique plants. The samples are currently being analyzed at the Transnational Red Sea CenterExternal link from the Federal Polytechnic School of Lausanne (EPFL).

DNA analyzes aim to better understand the biological processes of corals, which appear more resistant to increasing temperatures than other coral reefs. This fall, expedition photos from the research project, which will last until 2025, were exhibited in Geneva, outdoors.

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Science with a diplomatic mission

For Switzerland, participation in the project is not motivated by purely altruistic objectives. Indeed, the Transitional Red Sea Center, launched by EPFL in 2019 and financed by the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), has another dimension. This is a now well-established concept of Swiss foreign policy, namely building bridges and establishing valuable contacts by linking science and diplomacy in a fragile political environment, as Federal Councilor Ignazio Cassis described in a article for SWI swissinfo.ch in 2019.

The Red Sea region, with its many tensions, could play an important geopolitical role in the future, even outside of coral reefs, says Dr. Ali Miganeh Hadi, a researcher at the Department of Transport and Logistics of the University Institute of Maritime and Geopolitical Technology (IUT) at the University of Djibouti. We meet him one autumn afternoon in a five-star hotel in the capital, Djibouti, where the port cranes can be seen in the background.

Djibouti, home to the largest US military base on the African continent as well as Chinese, French, Italian and Japanese military bases, has successfully positioned itself as a critical player in the region over the past two decades. “Unlike our neighbors, we are an anchor of stability in the region,” declares Ali Miganeh Hadi.

Kai Reusser / SWI swissinfo.ch

A few kilometers away, where the sea waves mix with the horizon, is the Bab al-Mandab Strait, one of the busiest shipping routes in the world. Landlocked between Djibouti and Eritrea on one side and Yemen on the other, it connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and constitutes one of the main trade routes between Europe and Asia. Nearly a quarter of global maritime traffic – several billion tonnes of goods – passes through this waterway each year.

But, since last year, an atmosphere of crisis has reigned. Iran-backed Houthi militias, which control part of northwest Yemen, are attacking international transport ships with drones and missiles. Their attacks are intended to support Hamas, which the US, EU and other countries consider a terrorist organization, in Israel’s war in Gaza. The Houthis want to force an end to Israeli military operations through their attacks.

The Swiss economy depends on the region

This could become an increasingly important problem for European countries, as Houthi attacks have caused a serious economic crisis. Since the start of the Israeli-Palestinian war in October 2023, hundreds of merchant ships have been attacked by Houthi missiles, drones and cruise missiles in international waters near Yemen. Sailors have been killed, ships hijacked, sunk or damaged.

This situation also affects Switzerland, which hosts several international shipping companies. In March, a container ship of the Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC), one of the world’s largest shipping companies based in Geneva, was attacked by the Houthis on its way from Singapore to Djibouti, almost 90 miles to the southeast of the Yemeni city of Aden.

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According to the US military, the Houthis fired two missiles, one of which hit the ship. The incidents are not often mentioned, however. Shipowners thus try to avoid damage to their reputation or higher insurance premiums.

To avoid the dangerous route from Asia to Europe, cargo ships are forced to take longer routes, passing through the Cape of Good Hope in South Africa. This operation lasts two weeks longer and consumes almost 30% more fuel. As a result of these attacks, maritime traffic in the Red Sea has decreased by almost 80% since last year.

Added to this complex situation is another phenomenon. Djibouti is the central corridor for migratory movements from East Africa to the Arabian Peninsula. Even the long-running war in Yemen has not changed anything.

Migrants are leaving Djibouti for Yemen – and people from Yemen are fleeing to Djibouti. Pictured is the UNHCR camp for Yemeni refugees in Markazi.

Credit: Joerg Boethling / Alamy Stock Photo

A new approach to gaining influence?

For East Africa expert Tobias Hagmann of Swisspeace, an independent peace research institute based in Basel, it is clear that the Horn of Africa should become a priority for the future. European foreign policy, and therefore also of Switzerland.

“As soon as trade and maritime routes are threatened, economic leaders sound the alarm, which also reinforces questions about the general political situation in the region,” says Tobias Hagmann. Switzerland, as an exporting country, considers it crucial to secure its supply chains.

Until now, adds Tobias Hagmann, Switzerland has tried to play a constructive role in stabilizing the region, in particular through humanitarian aid and development cooperation. For example, by supporting multilateral and multinational funds for state building in the neighboring country Somalia, from where pirates have until now threatened trade routes.

Given the current crisis, countries like Djibouti, already mentioned in the FDFA’s Sub-Saharan Africa strategy, in connection with geopolitical developments in the Red Sea, could also be highlighted more in the future. The small coastal state has expressed solidarity with the Palestinians, but it supports peaceful solutions and respects the sovereignty of each party, explains Ali Miganeh Hadi.

The multi-purpose port of Doraleh, built by Chinese companies and inaugurated in 2017, has improved Djibouti’s competitiveness and cargo revenues.

Xinhua News Agency.all Rights Reserved

Switzerland, which, due to its principle of neutrality, stays away from direct military interventions, could find new paths with projects such as scientific diplomacy and the Transitional Red Sea Center, strengthen its position in the region and make Switzerland more visible, believes the researcher.

The possibilities of science for exploiting foreign policy interests are, however, limited, emphasizes Jasmina Saric, of the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, who conducts research on Swiss science diplomacy on the African continent. “We cannot expect a scientific project to resolve all the tensions and challenges in a very complex region at once,” she says.

There are, however, positive examples in other regions of the continent. In Kenya, for example, where Switzerland is successfully collaborating with the government in the areas of food security, natural resource management and biosecurity, according to Jasmina Saric. “When long-term partnerships or scientific projects are possible, there is often room for new common goals or bilateral cooperation in other areas, even if diplomatic channels are already exhausted,” she says.

Text reread and verified by Giannis Mavris, translated from German by Françoise Tschanz/sj

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