Bab-el-Mandeb: Why Has This Small Strait Become a Point of International Rivalries

 

Article 37 of the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS) deals with the right of transit passage in straits used for international navigation. This legal concept applies to the Bab el-Mandeb strait as well. Despite this, the strait's strategic importance has made it a focal point for regional and international conflicts. But why is it so?

The Bab el-Mandeb is a narrow waterway that separates Yemen and Djibouti, and Asia from Africa. It connects the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden and the Indian Ocean. The strait is 30 kilometers (KM) wide and is divided into two channels by Perim Island. The western channel is 26 KM wide and 30 meters deep, while the eastern is 3 KM wide and 310 meters deep. This strait is key to controlling almost all shipping between these bodies of water.

The Bab el-Mandeb Strait is vitally important for the transportation of goods, primarily oil and natural gas, between the Middle East, Africa, Europe, and Asia. It is a critical passage for oil tankers traveling from the Persian Gulf region to Europe and the Americas. Additionally, it serves as a key route for other types of cargo ships, including container ships and bulk carriers. This is because it is linked to a number of geographical and political factors that directly affect many countries in the Arab world and Africa.

Also known as the Gate of Grief or Gate of Tears in Arabic, the Bab el-Mandeb strait is strategically important for global shipping. It is a crucial transit route for international trade, particularly for ships transiting the Suez Canal. Most exports of petroleum and natural gas from the Persian Gulf that transit the Suez Canal or the SUMED Pipeline pass through both the Bab el-Mandeb and the Strait of Hormuz. Its significance increased after the opening of the Suez canal in 1869, and the discovery of the largest oil reserves in the Arabian Peninsula.

Why has the Bab-el-Mandeb become a cause of regional and international rivalry?

The Bab-el-Mandeb is the third busiest international sea route, after Malacca and the Strait of Hormuz. Approximately 3,300,000 barrels of oil, representing 4% of the global demand for oil, pass through it daily. Annually, 21,000 ships pass through it, meaning that commercial shipments passing through the strait amount to 10% of global commercial shipments. Located at the end of the Red Sea, it is the shortest sea route connecting east and west, making it especially important in regulating world trade.

The strait’s strategic location and economic potential have made it a hotbed of competing interests, leading to regional rivalries. The inter-Gulf rivalry, in particular, has inspired and defined this active engagement. There is competition between Saudi Arabia and Iran, as well as a contest pitting Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Bahrain, and Egypt against Qatar and Turkey. These rivalries have manifested in a series of interlinked proxy conflicts waged across the Middle East.

On the other hand, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait and its volatile border areas are host to growing strategic competition. Turkey, the Arab states of the Gulf, China (for whom the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is a strategic location for its Belt and Road Initiative due to its significance for trade, energy corridors, security, influence, and regional politics), and the United States are all expanding their economic and military activity in the region, leading to geopolitical tensions and complexities.

The strait’s vested economic interests also make it a hotspot for international rivalry. Indeed, the Horn of Africa is a trade and investment gateway to a continent brimming with economic potential. Gulf Arab countries, as well as Turkey and Egypt, have become increasingly prominent external actors in the Horn of Africa and the surrounding maritime space.

The rivalry for control of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is part of a regional conflict between Iran and its Shiite allies on one hand, and Saudi Arabia and its Sunni allies on the other. Tehran’s involvement in the Yemeni conflict is considered by Zaouaq (2018) as part of a broader military strategy, through which Iran intends to block merchant shipping traffic through the region’s two important choke points - Ormuz and Bab el-Mandeb. Soage even dubbed this conflict the ‘New Cold War of the Middle East’.

Other serious issues related to the Bab-el-Mandeb include:

This fragile region has been plagued by high levels of violence and instability within and across borders for decades. It has served as a launching pad for terrorism, piracy, human trafficking, and smuggling operations in recent years. Its strategic location and narrow breadth always keep it in the news as an important checkpoint in global maritime trade.

Indeed, the strait is located in a region with complex geopolitical dynamics. Ongoing conflicts and tensions in countries such as Yemen, Somalia, and Ethiopia could potentially impact the security and stability of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait. Political unrest or military actions in the area could disrupt maritime traffic. Because of this, it is closely monitored by international navies to ensure the safety and security of maritime traffic passing through the area. Any disruption or closure of the strait could have significant implications for global trade and energy markets.

The proximity of the Bab el-Mandeb Strait to areas with active terrorist groups, such as Somalia and Yemen, raises concerns about the possibility of terrorist attacks targeting ships passing through the strait. Terrorist organizations may seek to disrupt global trade or cause economic damage by targeting vessels or infrastructure in the area.

Additionally, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait is an ecologically sensitive area, home to diverse marine life and coral reefs. The passage of large vessels presents the risk of oil spills or other forms of pollution, which could have detrimental effects on the marine ecosystem.

However, despite the international community’s attempts to control piracy in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait through a combination of naval operations, security measures, regional cooperation, and the establishment of foreign military establishments, the region has seen a rapid increase in piracy in recent years.

This piracy not only disrupts the flow of maritime trade but is also vital for the global economy. The Bab-el-Mandeb Strait is a major oil chokepoint, with oil flow increasing from 5.1 million barrels per day in 2014 to 6.2 million b/d in 2018. Piracy in this region could lead to increased shipping costs and insurance premiums, impacting global trade.

The matter does not stop here. Several reports have revealed that pirate gangs in the region have formed alliances with terrorist groups. For instance, al-Qaeda’s al-Shabaab terrorist group in Somalia reportedly receives about 20-25% of the gains earned by Somali pirates.

The Iran-sponsored Yemeni Houthis have launched an offensive against maritime trade in the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait, engaging in multiple anti-ship drone and missile attacks and numerous acts of piracy against commercial and military vessels. All this reflects the ongoing conflicts and instability in the region.

In the context of India : Because India depends heavily on the Bab el-Mandeb Strait for crude oil and LNG imports from the Middle East, about 50% of India’s trade and commerce passes through this strait, it is important for India's trade relations with other countries.