Background of Houthis' Red Sea Blockade

 Pakistan's South Asian Chronicle published on 1 August 2026 an article titled "Houthi Red Sea Crisis."

This is a nice summary of the background of the Houthi blockade of the Red Sea and relations with Saudi Arabia.  

Marco Rubio Dismantles Human Rights at State Department

 Foreign Policy published on 8 July 2026 an article titled "Marco Rubio Burned Down the House to Fix a Sink" by Amanda Klasing, Amnesty International.  

Secretary of State Rubio has led an assault on human rights in American statecraft by slashing humanitarian aid, decimating human rights programs, gutting human rights offices and bureaus, disengaging from global human rights systems at the United Nations and elsewhere, and threatening international justice mechanisms.  

He has also changed the guidelines for the State Department's annual, global human rights reports by prioritizing political agendas over consistent accounting of human rights violations around the world.

Looking Back and Forward at Sudan over the Long Term

 The International Crisis Group posted on 15 May 2026 a 35-minute podcast titled "Sudan, and a Region and World in Upheaval" with Alan Boswell and Nasrine Malik, journalist and author.

The long-standing problem in Sudan is the control over resources by a certain group and the marginalization of the rest.  The old Sudan is gone and cannot be reconstructed.  The country requires a whole new approach, which may take years or more to achieve.

The United States and United Kingdom lack either the interest or ability to bring the civil war to an end.  As the United States withdraws from Africa, the European Union is drifting and not ready to replace the void being left by the United States.

Nasrine Malik discussed the impact of the war in Iran on Africa generally.  It has the potential to destabilize African economies.  The Western conception of human rights is on the wane and being replaced by an individualistic approach to certain human rights challenges. 

Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis Resume Attacks on Israel; Is Red Sea Next?

 The Times of Israel published on 28 March 2026 an article titled "Houthi Missile Attack on Israel Stokes Fears of Renewed Strikes on Red Sea Shipping."

Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen launched missile and drone attacks on Israel on 28 March, marking the first Houthi response since the United States and Israel began bombing Iran.  The strikes raise the specter of renewed Houthi attacks to disrupt international shipping in the Red Sea.  About 12 percent of world trade passes through the Suez Canal and Red Sea.

Israel, Somaliland, and the Horn of Africa

 The International Crisis Group posted on 19 February 2026 a 27-minute podcast titled "Israel, Somaliland and the Horn" with Alan Boswell and Asher Lubotzky, Israel-Africa Relations Institute.

Lubotzky commented that Israel is trying to improve relations across Africa.  In eastern Africa, its closest ties are with Ethiopia.  It also has good relations with South Sudan and Kenya.  They are up and down with Uganda and not so good with Eritrea.  Israel is making every effort to remain out of the Sudan conflict.

Israel's recognition of Somaliland was based primarily on its goal to develop a strategic link with a territory that is close to the Houthis in Yemen.  The Houthi issue drove Israel to recognize Somaliland where it can improve its intelligence operations at the southern end of the Red Sea and into Yemen.  The decision had little or nothing to do, as is often alleged, with moving Gazans to Somaliland or the Ethiopia-Egyptian dispute.  

Israel recognizes that Somaliland took a chance by recognizing Israel, which could result in Houthi attacks aimed at Somaliland.  

Egypt Reviving Suez Canal Following Houthi Red Sea Attacks

 The Washington Post published on 21 January 2026 an article titled "How Egypt Is Reviving the Suez Canal after Maritime Attacks Sank Traffic" by Claire Parker and Heba Farouk Mahfouz.

Attacks beginning in 2023 by the Houthis in Yemen on international shipping in the Red Sea interrupted maritime traffic through the Suez Canal, forcing most ships to reroute around the Cape of Good Hope.  The Suez Canal provided Egypt in 2023 with $10.2 billion in revenue and accounted for 12 to 15 percent of global maritime trade.  

The Houthis have ended most attacks, maritime traffic is increasing, and Suez Canal revenue for Egypt is picking up.  If the Gaza ceasefire holds, international shipping through the Red Sea and Suez Canal is expected to increase further, adding to Egyptian revenue.  

Turkey-Israel Tension in Horn of Africa and Beyond

 The Royal United Services Institute for Defence and Security Studies published on 6 January 2026 an analysis titled "From Syria to Somaliland: Turkey-Israel Competition Reshapes Region" by Burcu Ozcelik.

Turkey has a strong relationship with Somalia, increasing interests in the region, and opposes Israel's recent recognition of breakaway Somaliland.  This development adds to tension between Turkey and Israel in the Horn of Africa.  Turkish and Israeli interests also diverge sharply in Syria, Gaza, Cyprus, and Greece.

Why Israel Recognized Somaliland

 ABC News posted on 31 December 2025 an article titled "The Strategic Plays that May Have Driven Israel's Recognition of Somaliland" by Eric Tlozek.

Israel probably recognized Somaliland for the following reasons: to establish a presence to monitor Houthi activity in nearby Yemen, as a location for possible resettlement of Gazans from Palestine, and to counter the influence of Turkiye in the region.

Israel's Recognition of Somaliland Creates Challenges in Horn of Africa (in Arabic)

 Egypt's Al Dostor published on 29 December 2025 an article titled "A Dangerous Gamble. Two International Experts: Israeli Recognition of 'Somaliland' Turns It into a Military Base."

The Arabic-language article draws on analysis by me and an analyst at the Atlantic Council in Washington on the implications of Israel's formal recognition of Somaliland, the first such recognition by another country.  It raises the question of possible recognition by other countries and identifies some of the challenges and new strategic considerations in the Horn of Africa and Red Sea region.

Houthis Attack Dutch Ship in Gulf of Aden

 The Associated Press published on 1 October 2025 an article titled "Yemen's Houthi Rebels Claim Missile Attack on Dutch-flagged Ship in the Gulf of Aden" by Jon Gambrell.

Yemen's Houthi rebels claim to have attacked with a Cruise missile a Dutch-flagged cargo ship in the Gulf of Aden on 1 October, leaving it ablaze and adrift.  The 19 crew members evacuated the ship.  

Genocide in Sudan

 The New York Times published on 30 August 2025 an opinion piece titled "Where There's No Debate About Genocide--And No Response Either" by Nicholas Kristof.

The author argues there is bipartisan agreement in the United States that Sudan is suffering both genocide and famine and a bipartisan consensus to do little about it.  The Biden administration was too passive, and now so too is the Trump administration.  But the failure is global.  Arab and African countries have done more to aggravate the suffering in Sudan than to ease it.

Starvation Taking Hold in Darfur's Capital of El Fasher

 African Arguments posted on 26 August 2025 a commentary titled "El Fasher Is Sudan's Gaza as a Place of Mass Starvation" by Susanne Jaspars and Tamer Mohamed.

The siege of Darfur's capital of El Fasher by the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces has sharply limited the amount of food reaching the city.  As a result, starvation is taking hold.  

China Provides Dual-Use Technology for Houthis

 Stimson published on 12 August 2025 an analysis titled "China Sends Houthis Dual-Use Technology to Boost Influence and Undercut the US" by Mohammad Salami, International Institute for Global Strategic Analysis.

China is providing the Houthis with dual-use technologies such as satellite imagery and drone components, complicating US maritime security efforts in the Red Sea.  In return, China has secured safe passage for its vessels.

China's policy is to discredit US policies, emphasize neutrality, and appeal to Arab and Global South audiences.  

Houthi Attack Sinks Ship in Red Sea

 CNN posted on 10 July 2025 an article titled "10 Rescued, 4 Killed and Others 'Kidnapped' after Houthis Sink Ship in Second Red Sea Attack in a Week" by Mostafa Salam.

The Houthi attack on the Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned Eternity C resulted in the death of 4 out of the 25 crew.  European Union personnel rescued 10 while the Houthis apparently kidnapped others.  The article includes a dramatic one-minute video of the ship sinking provided by the Houthi Media Center.

Chinese Premier Visits Egypt to Deepen Ties

 UAE-based The National published on 9 July 2025 an article titled "Chinese Premier Li Qiang Visits Egypt to Deepen Ties as US Relations Sour" by Kamal Tabikha.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang is visiting Egypt on a visit to strengthen relations.  The article concludes that Egypt's growing frustration with Israel's polices in Gaza and its perception of US inaction have driven Cairo to recalibrate its foreign policy, resulting in Egypt prioritizing partnerships with China and BRICS nations to reduce reliance on Washington.

Yemen's Houthis Attack Second Ship in the Red Sea

 The New York Times posted on 8 July 2025 an article titled "Attack on Cargo Ship in the Red Sea Kills 2 Crew Members" by Vivian Nereim and Nick Cumming-Bruce.  

Yemen's Houthi rebels attacked a second Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned ship this week in the Red Sea.  On this occasion, they killed 2 crew members and injured 2 others.  

Yemen's Houthis Renew Attacks on Red Sea Shipping

 The Wall Street Journal published on 7 July 2025 an article titled "Houthis Attack Ship in Red Sea for First Time Since Trump Announced a Truce" by Dov Lieber and Benoit Faucon.  

A Houthi attack disabled a Liberian-flagged and Greek-owned ship near the port of Hodeidah in the Red Sea.  This was the first Houthi attack since President Trump halted airstrikes on the Houthis in May.  Recent Israeli airstrikes on the Houthis may have precipitated the new attacks on international shipping.  

An Assessment of US Airstrikes on Houthi Rebels in Yemen

 The CTC Sentinel published in June 2025 an analysis titled "Feature Commentary: An Assessment of Operation Rough Rider" by Gregory Johnsen, an expert on Yemen.  

The United States carried out more than 1,100 airstrikes over 52 days this past spring against Houthi rebels in Yemen.  This article provides an assessment of that campaign known as Operation Rough Rider.  The US intelligence community reportedly concluded that the airstrikes caused "some degradation" but the Houthis were in a position to easily reconstitute, regroup, and rebound.  The Red Sea crisis is far from over.  

USAID Dismantled and Children Die

 The Associated Press published on 16 May 2025 an article titled "Children Die as USAID Cuts Snap a Lifeline for the World's Most Malnourished" by Taiwo Adebayo.

Drawing on a program implemented by Mercy Corps in Nigeria to feed malnourished children, the article documents the damage caused by dismantling USAID.  It also looks at the closure of global programs administered by Helen Keller International.  

Israel Prepared to Go It Alone Against Houthis in Yemen

 CNN posted on 11 May 2025 an article titled "Israel Issues Evacuation Warnings for Yemen Ports after Vowing to 'Defend Itself by Itself'" by Eyad Kourdi and Oren Liebermann.

The Israeli Defense Fores warned people to evacuate the Yemeni ports of Ras Isa, Hodeidah, and Salif in anticipation of airstrikes following a missile fired by the Houthis at Israel.  Israel is prepared to go it alone after the US ceasefire with the Houthis.

Reuters posted on 11 May 2025 an article titled "Israel Attacks Yemen's Hodeidah after Evacuation Warnings, Houthis Say."

The Houthi interior ministry said Israel struck the port of Hodeidah on 11 May.