Yemen’s Houthi movement and Somalia’s al-Shabab have built a close partnership since 2022, with direct meetings reported since 2024. The Houthis are reportedly supplying weaponized drones, ballistic-missile technology, and drone training to al-Shabab. In return, al-Shabab is providing expanded smuggling and piracy routes through Somalia and the Gulf of Aden. Additionally, al-Shabab fighters have trained with al-Qaeda’s Yemen-based affiliate on advanced weapons systems.
This alliance has coincided with a sharp rise in piracy and militant activity in the Gulf of Aden and western Indian Ocean. Since late 2023, the Houthis have targeted over 100 commercial vessels in the Red Sea corridor and struck about half of them. This has forced shipping companies to reroute around southern Africa, adding time and distance to voyages and driving up container shipping costs.
Consequently, Suez Canal traffic has dropped by roughly half, causing billions of dollars in lost transit revenue for Egypt. Security analysts warn that the cooperation between the Houthis and al-Shabab complicates Western and regional counterterrorism efforts by expanding both groups’ financial and operational reach.