Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Head of the Yemeni Coast Guard Authority, Major General Khaled Ali Al-Qumali, participated in a trilateral meeting with the heads of the coast guard forces of Djibouti and Somaliland to discuss ways to strengthen cooperation in maritime security, combat organized crime and all forms of smuggling, and protect navigation in the western Gulf of Aden, Bab al-Mandab Strait, and the southern Red Sea.
During the meeting, Major General Al-Qumali and his Djiboutian counterpart, Colonel Wa’ees Omar, discussed enhancing cooperation in maritime security, combating organized crime and smuggling in all its forms, and safeguarding maritime navigation in the aforementioned regions.
The discussions emphasized the importance of unifying efforts and exchanging expertise and information to confront security challenges in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden and ensure the safety of international navigation.
The Yemeni Coast Guard Authority has recently gained regional and international attention, highlighted by the International Conference on the Yemeni Maritime Security Partnership held on August 16 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the participation of over 40 countries. Several countries pledged $10 million in support to help rehabilitate the authority.
Participating states also committed to providing the Yemeni Coast Guard with specialized training, equipment, and institutional capacity-building, in addition to establishing a secretariat to coordinate international efforts and ensure that resources are properly allocated.
Observers note that this growing attention and support stem from the increasing threats to international maritime navigation in Yemen’s territorial waters, particularly following the Houthi group’s attacks on ships in the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden.
