Somali Traders Seek Routes Amid Red Sea Insecurity

Mogadishu Seaport received its first direct shipment of sugar from Sri Lanka after Somali traders began seeking alternatives to traditional routes through the United Arab Emirates, Oman and Saudi Arabia. Mohamed Ali Nur, the port director, said the latest tensions in the Bab al-Mandab Strait and the Strait of Hormuz have negatively impacted them, but they have also taken measures to avoid that disruption. He described the Sri Lanka shipment as a strategy developed because of these tensions. Cargo ships continue unloading food and other commodities, and Somalia is heavily dependent on maritime trade for everyday goods. The changes follow Houthis seizing a key port city and an island. Yemen’s internationally recognized government and Saudi Arabia have fought the Houthis for 12 years; a ceasefire that had largely halted the civil war since 2022 has ended. On Sunday the International Organization for Migration reported more than 85,000 people displaced in Yemen since the start of the month and more than 2,000 reaching Djibouti, which borders Somalia. Captain Ali Jemdi said there is some trouble over there because of the war and that the Bab el-Mandeb may also have some issues for the vessel. Contested: none found in the record. The wire summary notes longer routes could still raise prices and that direct routes may expose shipping to added security risks, including piracy concerns in Somali waters.