US Warns Houthi-Al-Shabaab Ties Threaten Red Sea Security

MOGADISHU — Growing cooperation between Yemen’s Houthi rebels and Somalia’s Al-Shabaab militants poses an “escalatory” threat to security around the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden, US officials have warned, as the Iran-aligned group expands its control along Yemen’s western coast.

The Houthis have supplied weapons to Al-Shabaab and provided training in drones and explosives, while Houthi personnel have travelled to areas of southern Somalia where the Al-Qaeda-linked militant group operates, according to US officials and security experts cited in a recent assessment of the relationship.

A spokesperson for the US military’s Africa Command said the developing ties were a “highly concerning, escalatory threat to regional stability”, warning that closer cooperation could strengthen Al-Shabaab’s capabilities while giving the Houthis greater reach across the Gulf of Aden.

“By bridging operational capabilities, this alliance threatens to expand Al-Shabaab’s lethal reach in the Horn of Africa while simultaneously giving the Houthis deeper access to project influence and disrupt vital maritime corridors in the Red Sea and western Indian Ocean,” the spokesperson said.

The warning comes as the Houthis have made significant territorial gains along Yemen’s Red Sea coast. The group seized the strategic port city of Mocha earlier this month and moved towards the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a critical maritime chokepoint linking the Red Sea with the Gulf of Aden.

The development has raised concerns beyond Yemen because Bab al-Mandab is a major route for international shipping between Europe, Asia and the Middle East. The Houthis’ expanded presence on the Yemeni side of the waterway has increased scrutiny of their ability to threaten or influence maritime traffic.

Across the Gulf of Aden, security officials in Mogadishu are watching the reported relationship with concern. Al-Shabaab retains control or a heavy presence across large parts of south-central Somalia, particularly in rural areas, according to the European Union Agency for Asylum. The group continues to maintain the capacity to carry out attacks despite years of Somali government and international military operations against it.

The reported cooperation could give Al-Shabaab access to technologies and expertise that have become central to Houthi military operations, particularly drones, explosives and maritime capabilities. A recent report cited estimates that between 120 and several hundred Al-Shabaab members have received training in Yemen, including in weapons handling, improvised explosive devices and basic drone operations.

Closer links with Al-Shabaab could provide the Houthis a network on the African side of the Gulf of Aden and potentially extend their ability to monitor or influence activity around the Horn of Africa and western Indian Ocean.

The developments have added another security concern for Somalia, whose coastline lies directly across the Gulf of Aden from Yemen. The waterway is a key route for commercial vessels travelling between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean, making instability on either side potentially significant for maritime security and trade.

The Houthis’ latest offensive has already prompted wider international concern. Their capture of Mocha and subsequent gains along the Red Sea coast have altered the military balance in Yemen and brought the group closer to the Bab al-Mandab chokepoint.

The scale and operational nature of the Houthi-Al-Shabaab relationship remain difficult to establish independently, but US officials and security analysts say the growing contacts warrant closer monitoring because of the potential implications for Somalia, Yemen and shipping through one of the world’s most important maritime corridors.

By Agencies.