Abstract: Military diplomacy is increasingly emerging as an approach in the management of intra state conflicts globally. Far more common and controversial is the issue of combat troops to help end fighting in an intractable conflict. The Horn of Africa represents a classic example of a region that has witnessed many conflicts attracting several international, regional and even individual state initiatives to ameliorate the situation. The Somalia and Sudan crises provide typical examples in which such efforts have been witnessed yet they also provide a case study of successful military diplomacy by African states in states engaged in protracted intra-state conflicts.