Red Sea nations watch as Houthis seize Bab al-Mandeb strait
Houthi control of Bab al-Mandeb chokes Suez Canal revenues, triggers refugee flows, and exposes regional security gaps.
The Houthis have completed their takeover of Yemen’s entire Red Sea coastline, capturing the port city of Mocha and overrunning the strategic island of Mayyun (Perim) over the weekend.
Houthi forces are now positioned just 20 kilometres (12 miles) from the African coast and essentially control the strategically significant Bab al-Mandeb strait, a chokepoint for Red Sea maritime traffic.
While there are no indication that the Houthis would intervene outside Yemen’s borders, the war is already being felt on the African continent.
“That said, I would not say ships are present merely to protect themselves … [this makes] it difficult to go beyond their defined scope due to bureaucratic delays in updating mission mandates … latency and inactivity in responding to threats send the wrong signal to prospective actors.”