Security officials from Somalia, Ethiopia, Yemen and Djibouti gathered in Nairobi this week to strengthen maritime law enforcement across the volatile Red Sea and Gulf of Aden corridor.
The two-day dialogue, facilitated by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime with EU, INTERPOL, IMO and IGAD support, focused on deepening regional information-sharing and cooperation.
Officials warned that distant conflicts ripple through these waters, as attacks on shipping in the Strait of Hormuz leave forces stretched thin and pirates emboldened.
The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden remain a vital artery linking regional economies to global markets, vulnerable to any disruption.
Discussions centered on piracy, illegal fishing, human trafficking, migrant smuggling and narcotics, threats officials say are increasingly interconnected across borders.
Though piracy has fallen sharply from its peak over a decade ago, coordinators say improved data collection now sharpens the region’s response.
For landlocked Ethiopia, secure sea lanes through neighboring Djibouti remain essential, officials said, underpinning nearly all of its foreign trade.