Competition, cooperation and security in the Red Sea

As concerns grow about the management of the region, this report assesses latest developments and ongoing rivalries.

The Red Sea and its environs, which includes several countries in the Horn of Africa, are lately receiving increased global attention. Several geopolitical dynamics make it a unique space, often marked by division rather than unity. There are concerns that the shared space is not adequately managed and that new responses are needed to address this. This report assesses current developments, covering ongoing rivalries in the Red Sea and recommendations for future collaboration.

About the author

Omar S Mahmood is a Senior Researcher in the ISS Addis Ababa office. He has worked as a security consultant covering the Horn of Africa and Lake Chad Basin, and as senior analyst for a Washington DC-based consultancy firm. Omar has an Master’s degree in security studies and conflict resolution from the Fletcher School, Tufts University, Boston.

Picture: Peretz Partensky/Flickr