South Sudan’s Ongoing Civil War Tests Ethiopia’s Foreign Policy (WPR)

For years, Ethiopia has been actively engaged in the civil war in neighboring South Sudan, providing troops and diplomatic support to help stabilize the ravaged country. But Ethiopia’s relations with Sudan, which South Sudan broke away from in 2011, go far deeper and have not always been amicable. In an email interview, Terrence Lyons, associate professor of international relations at George Mason University and research associate at the Brookings Institution, discusses the roots of the relationship, how South Sudan’s independence and subsequent civil war have complicated Ethiopia’s foreign policy, and what other regional issues Ethiopia, Sudan and South Sudan must all navigate.

WPR: Describe the historical relationship between Ethiopia and Sudan. How did it fair when South Sudan formally split from Sudan in 2011? …