Above photo: Somalis gather to protest against the Israeli attacks on the Palestinian territories, including the blockaded Gaza Strip, in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on April 11, 2025. Abuukar Mohamed Muhidin/Anadolu Agency.
Between Somalia and Yemen lies the Bab al-Mandeb Strait connecting the Gulf of Aden to the Red Sea. It is a crucial passageway for the majority of shipping between the Gulf of Aden / Indian Ocean and the Red Sea, which leads to the Suez Canal.
On April 22, Somalia announced a ban on Israeli-linked ships traveling through the channel. Yemen has had an ongoing blockade of Israeli ships at the Bab al-Mandeb Strait since November 2023. Following the start of Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, Yemen’s Ansarallah government, in support of the Palestinians, closed off the strait to any ships taking supplies to Israel.
Somalia’s ban increases the strength of Yemen’s blockade. This, together with Iran’s closure of the Strait of Hormuz, creates a total blockage of Israeli and U.S.-backed vessels. Reports from early 2026 say there has been a 97% drop in traffic through the Strait of Hormuz because of the U.S./Israeli war against Iran.
Bab al-Mandab is a critical passageway for global trade, especially oil and gas from the Persian Gulf. Approximately 10% to 14% of global shipping trade passes through the strait. Somalia’s ban will further disrupt and delay vessels traveling through the Mediterranean Sea and Indian Ocean. Shipping companies that have rerouted around Africa’s Cape of Good Hope are saying that this adds approximately two weeks of travel time.
Somalia’s decision to block Israeli vessels is a response to Israel’s recent recognition of Somaliland, which lies directly across from Yemen on the Bab al-Mandeb Strait. Somaliland is a self-proclaimed autonomous region that broke away from Somalia in 1991. The region has not been internationally recognized in three decades; in December, Israel became the first United Nations member state to formally recognize Somaliland. Israel is aiming to align with Somaliland to weaken Yemen’s blockade of Israeli ships.
Israel’s move was explained in a Workers World article by Sara Flounders, who wrote, “Israel is a serious U.S. partner in efforts to fragment and destabilize African countries.” No African country has recognized Somaliland because of the destabilizing impact this could have on fragile post-colonial countries that imperialist powers have tried to break up. (workers.org/2026/01/90084/)
Flounders quoted a Jan. 4 Wall Street Journal article, which stated: “By extending diplomatic recognition to the breakaway statelet of Somaliland, Israel has cut a deal aimed at sharing intelligence and securing the strategic waterways of the Red Sea — making the country a player in the Horn of Africa, where Arab countries are jostling for influence.”
Flounders pointed out that the African Union and the Arab League denounced Israel’s recognition of Somaliland and called it a violation of international law. The Organization of Islamic Cooperation, along with 21 Arab and Islamic countries, condemned Israel’s announcement as a serious threat to international peace and security. Flounders emphasized that “Iran’s Foreign Minister Esmaeil Baqaei warned that the recognition is part of Israel’s broader policy to destabilize the region and fuel insecurity in the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.”
