The Africa Center for Strategic Studies published on 22 September 2026 an analysis titled "Houthi Leverage over the Red Sea Escalates Threats for Africa."
Iran-backed Houthi rebel attacks on shipping in the red Sea and Gulf of Aden are intensifying pressure on global supply chains. The attacks also have direct security and economic implications for many African countries, especially in the Horn of Africa.
There has been a resurgence in Somali piracy, growing cooperation between the Houthis and al-Shabaab in Somalia, and rising prices for refined oil products, fertilizer, and imported manufactured goods that previously transited the Suez Canal.