Political instability and/or violent conflict characterize the majority of countries in the Eastern Africa / Horn of Africa sub-region. Since the collapse of its central government in 1991-92, Somalia continues to be in a state of anarchy which has led to a severe humanitarian crisis. Only its autonomous northwestern part that seeks independence as "Somaliland" has been able to create internal peace and even establish democratically-elected institutions. Somalia is part of a wider "conflict system", with the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea at its core. After fighting two wars against each other in 1998 and 2000, tension at the border remains high, and both sides support Somali factions in order to destabilize each other. The "Comprehensive Peace Agreement" (CPA) of January 2005, which ended the civil war between Northern and Southern Sudan, is fragile, with both sides distrusting each other. It remains doubtful whether the peace process as defined by the CPA – culminating in a referendum on the status of the South scheduled for 2011 - will come to a successful and peaceful conclusion. Even Kenya, often regarded as an "island of stability", experienced a violent aftermath of the December 2007 general elections that brought the country to the brink of civil war. The Grand Coalition government formed in spring 2008 finds it difficult to implement long overdue reforms and to hold those accountable who have been responsible for the escalation of post-election violence.

Civil society (or "non-state") actors provide important contributions to the promotion of peace and good governance in the region. The Heinrich Böll Foundation's regional office in Nairobi (in co-operation with the Foundation's country office in Ethiopia) supports processes of civil society networking, dialogue and advocacy work in several countries of the region, especially in Kenya, Somalia, Somaliland and the Sudan, and beyond national boundaries (eg., the "China – African Civil Society Dialogue"). In Kenya, we are supporting dialogue processes and research addressing the post-election crisis. The Foundation's partner organisations support ongoing peace-building efforts In Somalia and the Sudan.