US seeks international cooperation to cut ties between Houthis, al-Shabaab

The United States has called for coordinated international efforts to sever the burgeoning ties between al-Qaeda affiliate al-Shabaab in Somalia and the Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen.

"The Red Sea smuggling routes connecting Somalia-based terrorist groups to those in Yemen place a premium on international cooperation," acting US alternate representative to the United Nations (UN) John Kelley said March 3.

"We are concerned by growing ties between al-Shabaab and the Houthis in particular," he said, following the adoption of a UN Security Council Resolution on the al-Shabaab sanctions mandate renewal.

"We encourage dialogue between the Yemen and al-Shabaab sanctions panels, and countries in the Horn of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, to shed light on and ultimately sever the ties between the Houthis and al-Shabaab."

"Regional dialogue is also needed to address piracy, weapons trafficking, and the illicit activities that fuel terrorism," Kelley said.

The opportunistic alignment of interests between the Houthis and al-Qaeda in Yemen has spawned ties with groups such as al-Shabaab in the Horn of Africa, Paris-based global affairs analyst Mahmoud Salimi told Salaam Times.

"The United States, recognizing the threat posed by the collaboration between al-Shabaab and the Houthis, is actively seeking international cooperation to dismantle this connection," Salimi said.

"These efforts include sanctioning Houthi leaders, strengthening intelligence-sharing with regional allies, and increasing military presence in strategic areas."

"The goal is to disrupt the supply chain of weapons and financial resources between the two groups and weaken their operational capabilities," he said.

Need for vigilance

The Iranian regime has collaborated with al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, and may similarly see al-Shabaab as a tool to target US interests in Africa, analysts said.

"Although al-Shabaab is weaker than it once was, it remains a security threat in the Horn of Africa," Ankara-based counter-terrorism analyst Niaz Mohammad Mansouri told Salaam Times.

The Somalia-based group "requires continuous attention and action from the international community," he added.

Recent measures to disrupt this network include sanctions against al-Shabaab and Houthi leaders and intensified military operations in Somalia and Yemen.

These include US airstrikes on al-Shabaab bases and on Houthi military targets, efforts to combat arms smuggling, and expanded US and allied naval patrols in the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, Mansouri said.

The group also faces pressure from within, he said, noting that al-Qaeda has suffered ideological damage due to its cooperation with the Houthis, which could "create internal divisions among al-Qaeda’s leadership and members."