The quest for peace is a longstanding objective of national governments and development partners in the Horn of Africa. Political negotiations between conflicting parties and the promotion of regional economic integration spearheaded by the sub-regional economic communities are among the most prominent attempts by member states and their partners with the objective of promoting regional peace. However, peace is still illusive in the region. This paper suggests the adoption of an incremental peace project spearheaded by limited sectorial cross-border cooperation. It summarizes the main theoretical approaches to cross- border cooperation and provides a summary of the current political environment of the region, highlighting its defining features. It further reviews the European Union experience, for comparative reasons, which may inform us the way forward, based on the key lessons from that experience.
