Somalia’s Strategic Advantage as Bab el-Mandeb Faces Growing Security Threats

The Gulf of Aden and the Bab el-Mandeb Strait have become central to global security as continued instability in Yemen threatens one of the world’s most important shipping corridors.

Bab el-Mandeb connects the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden, providing a vital maritime route between the Indian Ocean, the Middle East and Europe. Ships using the strait can reach the Suez Canal without making the long journey around Africa.

Any serious disruption along this route carries consequences far beyond Yemen and the Horn of Africa. Attacks on commercial vessels can increase insurance premiums, shipping costs, delivery times and energy prices. They can also force shipping companies to divert vessels around the Cape of Good Hope, adding thousands of miles to their journeys.

The continuing Houthi threat in Yemen has made the security of the strait an urgent international concern. Missile and drone attacks against vessels have demonstrated how an armed group operating from Yemen can disrupt global commerce.

Ending that threat will require more than intercepting missiles and escorting commercial ships. Any lasting solution must prevent the Houthis from using Yemen’s coastline and territory to threaten maritime traffic. Their military capabilities must be dismantled, weapons supplies must be stopped and legitimate Yemeni institutions must regain control of the country’s ports and coastal areas.

Military action alone, however, is unlikely to produce lasting stability. Yemen’s political divisions must also be addressed.

South Yemen cannot be ignored

North and South Yemen existed as separate political entities before unification in 1990. Since then, the country has experienced political crises, civil wars, institutional collapse and foreign intervention.

The future of South Yemen remains one of the central questions in any attempt to establish a stable political order. Southern groups have long raised concerns about representation, control of resources and political authority. Ignoring those grievances risks extending the conflict and leaving the southern coastline vulnerable to further instability.

A credible political settlement must therefore address the status of the south and establish a system capable of securing the country’s territory, ports and maritime borders. Without such an agreement, armed groups will continue to exploit divisions within Yemen.

Somalia’s strategic advantage

Somalia stands to gain from a secure Gulf of Aden because of its geographic position. Its coastline stretches along the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean, close to maritime routes connecting Asia, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

That position gives Somalia several potential advantages. Its ports could support international trade, cargo handling, fuel supply, ship maintenance and regional logistics. Greater maritime stability could also attract investment in fisheries, coastal infrastructure and transport.

Somalia could become an important security partner for countries seeking to protect navigation through the Gulf of Aden. Its location makes Somali territorial waters and coastal areas essential to efforts against piracy, weapons trafficking, terrorism and other maritime crimes.

But geography alone will not deliver economic or political benefits. Somalia needs functioning ports, a capable coast guard, effective maritime laws and firm control over its territorial waters. It must also ensure that foreign agreements involving ports, military access and offshore resources respect Somali sovereignty.

Instability in Yemen presents a direct danger to Somalia. Weapons smuggling, militant movement, human trafficking and refugee flows can cross the narrow waters separating the two countries. A prolonged conflict could also draw the Horn of Africa deeper into rivalries involving regional and international powers.

Somalia should treat the security of the Gulf of Aden and Bab el-Mandeb as a major national interest. It should support efforts to end the Houthi maritime threat while calling for an inclusive political settlement that addresses the future of South Yemen.

A secure maritime corridor would benefit global trade, but it would also give Somalia an opportunity to strengthen its ports, expand its economy and increase its diplomatic influence. The country’s location offers a clear strategic advantage. Turning that advantage into lasting prosperity will depend on security, stable institutions and a coherent national maritime policy.