2017 Sep C8 – The Future Of Africa and ME, From The Eyes Of An Ambassador

In our upcoming Sept CI meeting, we have secured special guest Bulhan Hersi to join us.

Bulhan is essentially Ambassador without portfolio for the Federal Republic of Somalia. Educated in Sweden and the United States, Bulhan has lived for 12 years in Japan.

Bulhan will elaborate on the current situation in Somalia and the historical underpinnings of why the situation today is so much in the news. He will tie into how the Japanese government sees the region, the issue of piracy (and from where/how it emerged in the first place), Somalia’s precarious position geopolitically, and why this impacts Japan’s role in the region. In doing so, the following related issues are unavoidable:

• The Middle East fueling tensions in the Horn of Africa: the Qatar / Yemen issue;
• The background religious influence

• Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates increasing military influence in the region.

• The Iranian influence in the region

The September lunch will offer you a new perspective on the influence of politics, business, and religion in the ME and Africa; Somalia’s role is key to understanding this.