Eritrean President: There Is No Justification for Establishing Military Bases on Yemeni Islands
Yemen Monitor – Cairo – Exclusive:
Eritrean President Isaias Afwerki warned that Yemen’s chronic instability “fundamentally stems from the ambitions of global powers to establish a military presence” in the region—particularly through attempts to set up bases on strategic Yemeni islands.
In an interview with Eri-TV following his visit to Cairo, Afwerki emphasized the geographical and strategic interconnection between the Red Sea, the Bab al-Mandab Strait, the Gulf of Aden, Somalia, and Yemen.
Speaking about regional security, Afwerki highlighted the geopolitical significance of the area stretching from the Somali coast through Yemen, noting intensified efforts to entrench foreign military presence.
He pointed specifically to “attempts to establish bases on Socotra—which is part of Yemen and lies in the Horn of Africa—as well as efforts to build bases on the islands of Mayun and Zuqur in Bab al-Mandab Strait.”
Afwerki described the geographic focus from Socotra to Mayun, alongside moves aimed at fragmenting Somalia, as part of a broader plan with a clear ultimate goal:
“To create the conditions for the installation of foreign military bases in that region to advance specific political agendas.”
Reports have previously indicated that the United Arab Emirates has been building military bases on Socotra and Mayun islands.
The Eritrean president stressed that such maneuvers “pose a constant threat to the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden, and the coasts of the Indian Ocean,” calling for urgent regional and local coordination to counter these risks.
Afwerki linked resolving the Yemeni crisis to the shared Eritrean-Egyptian vision of securing the waterways—one that rejects foreign interference, stating:
“There is no justification for proposals to establish foreign military bases or for direct military interventions targeting any coastal state in the Red Sea under the pretext of protecting maritime security.”
He concluded that the solution lies in building a cooperative mechanism among coastal states, based on self-reliance and mutual capacity, ensuring these nations can safeguard their own interests without foreign powers substituting their role.
