The Blue Economy Across the Red Sea: Why Africa Needs a Stable South Yemen

 

Too often, discussions about South Yemen focus only on conflict. From where we stand in Africa, this misses the bigger picture. What we need is a reliable partner across the Red Sea—one that can cooperate on managing shared resources, securing sea lanes, and building industries that depend on long-term planning. A unified and stable South Yemen offers exactly that.

When South Yemen’s ports and coastlines operate under a single, coherent framework, cooperation becomes possible. Fisheries can be managed sustainably rather than exploited in isolation. Maritime services can connect seamlessly with African ports. Ship repair and maintenance facilities can serve vessels moving between Africa and Asia. Tourism corridors can develop around safe and stable coastal environments.

For us, this is about opportunity, not ideology. African coastal states are already investing in ports, training maritime professionals, and protecting marine ecosystems. A stable South Yemen allows these efforts to extend across the Red Sea. It opens space for joint projects, knowledge exchange, and shared standards in maritime governance.

This is why we should see One South Yemen not as a distant political question, but as an economic partner in the Red Sea blue economy. Unity enables planning. Planning enables investment. Investment enables shared growth.

For Africa, the future of the blue economy depends on collaboration. Our prosperity is tied to the health and security of the seas we share. Across the Red Sea, we rise or fall together. If we want a blue economy that delivers jobs, protects resources, and connects us to global trade, we need stability on both shores—and that includes a unified and stable South Yemen.