Red Sea countries step up maritime cooperation as regional threats increase

As maritime tensions rage across the Middle East, security officials from Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia gathered in Nairobi this week to address a shared concern: how to protect the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from rising threats that no country can handle alone.

A two-day Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue, facilitated by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with support from the European Union, INTERPOL, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), focused on strengthening information exchange and cooperation across the region.

For the officials present, the timing was hard to ignore.

“If we talk about threats, attacks on freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz are currently having an impact on the Gulf of Aden because [they are] affect maritime security. The pirates used this opportunity and the disruption of maritime forces globally to carry out more attacks in the region, because they knew that everyone was busy. [looking in another direction],” said Abdurrahim Muhammad Ali of the Djibouti Maritime Authority.

Unlimited threats

The Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden are one of the most important maritime corridors in the world, connecting regional economies with international markets. Any disruption could impact shipping routes, supply chains and the movement of goods far outside the region.

According to Mostafa Elbanna, UNODC Regional Coordinator for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden under the Global Maritime Crime Programme, the region faces complex, interconnected challenges.

“[This is a great time] “to hold discussions and dialogue like this with various institutions and law enforcement to discuss the challenges they face, as well as future steps regarding maritime security,” he said.

Among the main concerns are piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and narcotics trafficking. Officials say developments in one region increasingly impact other regions, making the exchange of information and coordinated responses increasingly important.

Although piracy levels remain well below their peak more than a decade ago, Elbanna noted that countries are now better prepared to respond through stronger law enforcement, better data collection and greater regional cooperation.

Economic betting

For landlocked Ethiopia, maritime security is about more than law enforcement. This is an economic necessity.

Captain Kibru Mesfin of the Ethiopian Maritime Authority said most of the country’s trade passes through neighboring Djibouti, so safe sea lanes are vital for the national economy.

Disruptions to maritime routes could increase shipping and insurance costs, delay deliveries of essential goods and weaken export capacity, he said, placing additional pressure on businesses and consumers.

Mesfin argues that stronger ties between maritime authorities, coast guards and law enforcement agencies across the region are critical to keeping trade flowing smoothly.

He called for a more organized and harmonized system for sharing maritime information between neighboring countries, including Djibouti, Yemen and Somalia.

Establishing a National Maritime Information Center and strengthening regional connections, he said, would help authorities access timely information needed to support maritime security and decision-making.

Shared challenges

Officials across the region emphasize that the threats they face are often the same, regardless of national borders.

Ali said maritime terrorism, illegal fishing, robbery, human trafficking, irregular migration and smuggling were some of Djibouti’s main concerns.

“The practical result is to bring closer together and share information from Yemen, Somalia and Ethiopia. We have the same challenges,” he said.

Throughout the dialogue, participants discussed ways to increase maritime domain awareness, strengthen operational cooperation, and develop more coordinated responses to incidents at sea.

What is clear is that in a region where criminal networks and security threats move easily across borders, cooperation remains one of the most effective tools for protecting seafarers, safeguarding trade and maintaining stability along the world’s busiest shipping routes.