Did Somalia close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Israeli ships?
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Multiple news websites have reported over the past 24 hours that Somalia had moved to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Israeli ships. Yet Somalia’s federal government has made no such announcement, and questions persist over whether it has the capacity to enforce such a measure. The reports, amplified by prominent international […]
Black News 
MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Multiple news websites have reported over the past 24 hours that Somalia had moved to close the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to Israeli ships. Yet Somalia’s federal government has made no such announcement, and questions persist over whether it has the capacity to enforce such a measure.
The reports, amplified by prominent international journalists on X, including Mario Nawfal, appear to be both unverified and unrealistic. They lack confirmation from Somali authorities, whose security forces remain heavily engaged in fighting insurgents in areas close to the capital Mogadishu.
The claims surfaced days after Somali Ambassador Abdullahi Warfa said that any country interfering in Somalia’s affairs and “compromising its territorial integrity and sovereignty will face repercussions, including potential restrictions on access to the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait.”
Warfa’s remarks were widely interpreted as a reference to Israel, which had, shortly before his comments, sent an ambassador to Somaliland – a breakaway northern region of Somalia that Israel recognized as an independent country last year.
Despite the ambassador’s warning, analysts remain skeptical. They question not only the intent behind the statement but also Somalia’s ability to act on it.
“Somalia has not way of imposing a blockade on Bab el-Mandeb. It has no functional navy, air force able to project expeditionary capabilities. It has no stockpiles of ballistic missiles,” said Rashid Abdi, a Horn of Africa analyst with Nairobi-based Sahan Research.
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