Somalia and Yemen’s Cross-border Maritime Economy

The legacy of Somali piracy, the threat of terrorists transiting between Yemen and Somalia, and the deepening conflict in Yemen mean international actors tend to view the Gulf of Aden through a security lens. This Rift Valley Institute Report outlines the local social and economic relations that crisscross the maritime border between Yemen and Somalia, and which, despite being less visible to international policymakers, make an important contribution to the resilience of communities in both countries. The aim of this study is to better understa220nd the communal connections—based on trust and mutual accountability—that exist between populations in northern Somalia and southern Yemen, focusing specifically on the sea corridor connecting communities in the remote far north-eastern littoral of Puntland, a federal state of Somalia, with coastal communities in Yemen.