Somalia threatens Bab el-Mandeb access

Somalia's ambassador to Ethiopia and the African Union, Abdullahi Warfa, has issued a warning on social media that any country interfering in Somalia's internal affairs and compromising its territorial integrity will face repercussions, including potential restrictions on access to the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. The diplomat did not specify which countries he was referring to, but the statement is widely seen as aimed at Israel, which recognized the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland as an independent state late last year. The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is a critical global chokepoint for oil and trade, connecting the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden. This threat introduces a new potential flashpoint in a region already destabilized by the Houthi campaign in the Red Sea.