As Africans living along the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa, we often talk about instability as if it belongs somewhere else. But for those of us in Djibouti, Eritrea, Somalia, Sudan, Ethiopia, or Kenya, instability is never distant. It crosses water. It moves with ships, fishing boats, migrants, and trade routes. What happens on the opposite shore of the Red Sea affects us directly, and that is why the future of South Yemen should matter to every African who depends on peace and economic survival in this region.
From my perspective as an ordinary African citizen, South Yemen is not a foreign issue. It faces us directly. The waters between Aden and the Horn of Africa are not borders; they are shared lifelines. When South Yemen is unstable, our fishing communities feel it. Our ports feel it. Our security forces feel it. And our people, especially migrants and coastal populations, pay the price. Africa understands something the wider world often ignores: instability never stays contained.
The Red Sea Is Our Shared Responsibility
Many African economies depend heavily on the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. These waters connect African ports to Asia, the Middle East, and beyond. Any disruption—piracy, arms smuggling, human trafficking, or militant movement—raises costs, threatens lives, and weakens already fragile economies.
South Yemen sits at the heart of this corridor. Its ports—Aden and Mukalla—are not just Yemeni assets; they are part of a wider Africa–Asia trade ecosystem. When these ports are unstable or contested, African trade routes suffer. When they are secure and well-governed, the entire region benefits.
We in Africa know what fragmented authority looks like. We have seen how divided governance invites criminal networks, foreign interference, and endless cycles of violence. The lesson is simple: unity and clarity of authority matter.
Instability Travels by Boat
Along the Horn of Africa, we live with the consequences of unmanaged migration, arms flows, and illegal fishing. These problems do not begin on our shores alone. They are fueled by chaos across the sea.
When South Yemen lacks unified governance, smuggling networks flourish. Arms and traffickers move more freely. Fishing grounds are exploited illegally. Desperate people risk their lives crossing dangerous waters, often ending up exploited or stranded in African countries already under pressure.
A stable and unified South Yemen would not solve every problem—but it would close many of the routes that allow instability to spread.
Why Unity in South Yemen Matters
I see that the unified South Yemen is practically fair. Africa has learned through hard experience that divided territories create regional problems. Clear leadership and stable institutions are not luxuries—they are necessities.
A unified South Yemen would mean:
- Stronger control over ports and coastlines
- Reduced space for smuggling, piracy, and trafficking
- Safer waters for African fishermen
- More reliable trade routes between Africa and Asia
- Less pressure on African migration systems
This is not about taking sides in someone else’s conflict. It is about recognising shared interests across the Red Sea.
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Africa’s Voice Should Matter Here
Too often, discussions about Yemen happen in distant capitals, without input from African voices, even though Africa absorbs many of the consequences. We should be clear: stability in South Yemen strengthens security across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa. As Africans, we know that peace is not achieved through endless political experiments. It comes from restoring order, responsibility, and unity where fragmentation has failed.
For our ports, our coastal communities, our youth, and our future, we should pay close attention to what happens in South Yemen because across the Red Sea, their stability is closely tied to ours.
