HENOK MERHATSIDK 1.pdf - Addis Ababa University

Above all the neo –realist perception of the anarchic international system and the way
countries followed in addressing their threat either by themselves or forging alliance is
visible in policies and actions of the two countries under study.
The previous discussion on neo-realist theory suggests why Ethio-Kenyan relations should be
strengthened in the current regional and domestic situation of both countries. There are also
other schools of thought that believe in the role of international institutions in reducing
conflict in the international system. Their central idea is that “long term mutual gains is often
more rational than maximizing individual short-term gains”. This theory argues that states
are capable of forging co-operation mainly because of their mutual interest. For them, states
have not only conflicting interest but they have also mutual interests that force them to come
together (Goldstein, 2001:112-11). The continuing Ethiopia’s involvement in the
peacekeeping activities in Darfur, Sudan and the hosting of Somali peace process in Sodere,
seem that its foreign policy is shaped towards peaceful co-existence and co-operation. War
and instability in any of her neighboring country is perceived by Ethiopia as a danger to it,
too. In the same vein, economic growth and peace in other countries will help Ethiopia to
have larger market for its products (Moi, 2009). Ethiopian government’s Growth and
Transformation Plan (GTP) which envisages Ethiopia’s energy to be five fold in five years
time and its agriculture output to be doubled in the same year. Kenya also planned in
1997”industrial transformation to the year 2020”.Recently Kenya launched another plan that
envisaged Kenya to be a middle income country in 2030(ADB,2009). These plans can only
be met if and only if the security concerns of Ethiopia and Kenya are addressed.
It is worth mentioning Prisoners Dilemma (PD) Game as it rises important issues concerning
the possibility of co-operation in the international system as a plausible task. The Prisoners
Dilemma Game is a condition in which “rational players will choose moves that produce an
outcome in which all players are worse off than under a different set of moves. They all
could do better, but as individual rational actors they are unable to achieve these
outcomes.”(Goldstein, 2001:112-114)
11