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The African Union condemns Houthi attacks on Red Sea oil tankers following a dangerous escalation along vital trade corridors connecting East Africa, the Middle East, and European markets. In an official diplomatic declaration issued from continental headquarters in Addis Ababa, African Union Commission Chairperson Mahmoud Ali Youssouf expressed deep concern over reported missile and drone strikes against commercial crude carriers transiting near the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The regional body voiced full solidarity with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, reaffirming its strong support for the nation’s sovereignty while emphasizing that unprovoked military actions targeting commercial merchant fleets violate international maritime law and threaten international trade stability.
The continental intervention follows claims by Yemen’s Houthi movement that its forces executed targeted operations against Saudi-flagged vessels to enforce a newly declared naval blockade against regional ports. African Union leadership warned that attempting to obstruct freedom of navigation creates severe economic risks for numerous African coastal states whose local industries depend entirely on safe, secure, and uninterrupted maritime access. Officials noted that expanding hostilities across the southern Red Sea risk driving up global maritime insurance rates, inflating consumer transport costs, and severely disrupting critical fuel supply lines across the Horn of Africa.
Highlighting the strategic importance of East African shipping lanes, Chairperson Youssouf called on the Houthi movement to immediately cease all hostility toward commercial traffic and adhere strictly to international legal frameworks governing open waters. The African Union reiterated its support for broader multilateral diplomatic initiatives focused on de-escalating regional confrontations and restoring stability across regional waterways. As international naval coalitions bolster patrol operations along high-risk transit corridors, African leaders stress that safeguarding Red Sea maritime routes remains indispensable for preserving regional connectivity, protecting African supply chains, and securing sustainable economic growth.