The alliance between Somalia’s al-Shabaab and Yemen’s Houthi movement is intensifying, evolving from opportunistic cooperation to a coordinated axis of violence. According to a 2025 UN report, the relationship—once described as transactional—has matured into a strategic partnership that threatens the Horn of Africa and Red Sea regions.

Between June and September 2024, al-Shabaab reportedly received weapons shipments through the ports of Marka and Baraawe. These arms were later used in attacks against African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) camps in Lower Shabelle.

Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has directly accused the Iran-backed Houthis—known as Ansar Allah—of supplying the weaponry that has emboldened al-Shabaab’s resurgence.

Tactical and Logistical Exchange

The partnership is sustained through mutual benefit. The Houthis provide al-Shabaab with access to advanced weapon systems, including drones and surface-to-air missiles, far beyond the group’s traditional arsenal of AK-47s and IEDs. In return, al-Shabaab offers coastal intelligence, smuggling networks, and piracy expertise.

“For Ansar Allah, Somalia’s porous coastlines have become critical to ensuring access to Iranian supplies and Chinese equipment,” analysts Ibrahim Jalal and Adnan al-Jabarni wrote in a report for the Carnegie Middle East Center.

According to the Africa Center for Strategic Studies, this cooperation gives the Houthis broader access to the Arabian Sea and Western Indian Ocean. The al-Shabaab network across Somalia and northern Kenya enables easier transit of Iranian arms from the ocean into the Gulf of Aden.

Drone Training and Clandestine Bases

The UN disclosed that in 2024, over a dozen al-Shabaab fighters were sent to Yemen for drone warfare training facilitated by al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), which also provided an encrypted messaging platform for coordination.

Further complicating regional stability, reports from Puntland indicate Houthi forces have established missile facilities in the Golis Mountains of Sanaag. These units reportedly test-launched a missile from Harshaw to Taleh—a 459 km trajectory—while disguising themselves as al-Shabaab fighters to avoid local backlash.

Coordinated Response Needed

Experts warn that maritime security alone will not suffice to counter the growing threat. “Given that both militant groups are well entrenched in their respective host countries, significantly degrading this threat will require more than maritime action,” the Africa Center noted. Targeted efforts to reduce territorial control are essential, as these strongholds serve as bases for launching attacks and expanding military capabilities.