The Government of Yemen and the Federal Government of Somalia held a key diplomatic meeting in London, which discussed the growing relationship between the Houthi group and terrorist groups operating in Somalia and the Horn of Africa as a whole.
The meeting was held by the Yemeni Ambassador to the UK, Dr. Yasin Said Na’man, and the Somali Ambassador to the UK, Abdulkhadir Abdi Haji. According to a brief statement published by Dr. Na’man on his Facebook page, the two sides discussed in depth the political and security developments in the region, as well as the terrorist activities and destructive acts carried out by these groups.
During the meeting, the ambassadors reviewed information related to arms smuggling and the support provided by the Houthi group to extremist organizations in Somalia, such as Al-Shabaab and the ISIS group in the north of the country. Particular attention has been paid to the strategic relationship between the Houthis and Al-Shabaab, which is said to be based on the transfer of military equipment and training, in exchange for increased piracy and arms smuggling.
According to the United Nations in February 2025, there is evidence that there were face-to-face meetings between members of the Houthis and Al-Shabaab in 2024, which involved the transfer of military equipment and strategic cooperation.
The two ambassadors agreed to strengthen diplomatic cooperation between the two embassies to address the threat these groups pose to the security of the countries of the Horn of Africa and the world at large. They also called for regional security cooperation to stop the Houthis’ interference and the expansion of their terrorist links across borders.
