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Houthis and Smuggling Networks in Africa: International Report and Amr Al-Beidh’s Comment on the Hadramout Route

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Ain Al-Janoub | Special Follow-up

A report published by The National has revealed that the Iran-backed Houthi group is expanding its smuggling and arms-trafficking networks in several countries across the Horn of Africa, benefiting from its growing ties with Al-Shabaab in Somalia and the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF), in a development that could strengthen its influence along the African side of the Red Sea.

According to a report by **The Century Foundation**, titled *“From Spoke to Hub: The Houthis in Africa,”* the Houthis’ activities in the region are partly built on networks linked to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), which provide weapons, training, expertise, and supply chains to allied groups and forces.

### Ties with Al-Shabaab

The report said that Al-Shabaab, the Somali group linked to Al-Qaeda, began communicating with the Houthis in 2024 with the aim of obtaining anti-aircraft weapons and drones.

Although there are no confirmed indications that the group has acquired or used these advanced weapons, the presence of Al-Shabaab operatives inside Yemen, according to the report, points to deepening ties between the two sides.

### Arms Smuggling Through Sudan and the Red Sea

In Sudan, the report says the Houthis are believed to have participated since 2024 in transporting shipments of small arms and light weapons on behalf of Iran, with Houthi operatives present in Port Sudan and arms moving in both directions across the Red Sea.

The report also cited information indicating that the Houthis have sent engineers and experienced operatives to Sudan to assist in training Sudanese forces, in cooperation with the IRGC, in the use and manufacture of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

The report links these developments to the restoration of relations between Iran and the Sudanese Armed Forces in 2023, following years of diplomatic estrangement.

### Amr Al-Beidh: A Smuggling Network Through Hadramout

At the same time as **The National** published its report, **Amr Al-Beidh**, Representative of President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi for Foreign Affairs, reposted the article and added a comment in English alleging the existence of a Houthi–Al-Shabaab smuggling network running through Hadramout Governorate.

Al-Beidh said that evidence shared by the **Southern Transitional Council (STC)** with partners in the United States and the United Kingdom showed the existence of a Houthi–Al-Shabaab smuggling network through Hadramout, claiming that STC forces had disrupted the network in December.

He added that **Saudi intervention in January reversed those gains**, arguing that smuggling operations have since increased again.

In his comment on the report, Al-Beidh wrote:

> “STC evidence shared with US/UK partners shows a Houthi–Al Shabab smuggling network through Hadramout, disrupted by STC forces in December. Saudi intervention in January undid that gain. Smuggling is back up and the Yemen file continues to be mismanaged.”

Al-Beidh’s comment adds a direct Yemeni dimension to the international report’s findings regarding the expansion of Houthi smuggling networks in the Horn of Africa and the Red Sea. It links activity on the African side of the Red Sea to routes passing through Yemeni territory, particularly Hadramout.

### Eritrea as Part of the Logistics Route

The report also said that the Houthis, with Iranian support, are working to rebuild ties with Eritrea, which could serve as a logistical hub for the smuggling of Iranian weapons destined for Yemen.

According to the report, the continuation of these activities could lead to the development of a Houthi logistical network extending intermittently along the African coastline of the Gulf of Aden and the Red Sea, from northeastern Somalia to northern Sudan.

### Expanding Scope of Activity

The report warns that the current relationships between the Houthis and armed factions in the region, although largely based on mutual interests for now, could gradually evolve into deeper and more interdependent relationships.

Accordingly, based on the information cited by the report and Amr Al-Beidh’s comments, Houthi activity is not confined to the Yemeni arena but extends into a broader network of arms routes, smuggling channels, and military cooperation along both sides of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. This could give the group greater capacity to consolidate its influence in the Horn of Africa.