After a few days in which ships transiting the Red Sea had not been hit by drones and missiles launched from the area of Yemen controlled by the Houthi rebels, a period in the what the missions of the Anglo-American armed forces have continued? to neutralize the bomb launch bases, today a bulk carrier in transit in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait was targeted by two missiles that - the United Kingdom announced Royal Navy's Maritime Trade Operations – caused minor damage and no injuries among the ship's crew members, who continued its journey to the next port of port of call.

According to Houthi spokesman Yahya Sare'e, the ship centered by the missiles would be the Star Iris bulk carrier which is has been referred to as an American unit, while the bulk carrier Panamax of 76,000 deadweight Star Iris, which flies the flag of the Marshall Islands, belongs to the Greek Star Bulk.

Meanwhile, researchers Ronak Gopaldas, Daniel Van Dalen and Menzi Ndhlovu, in the framework of the publications of the South African Institute for Security Studies (ISS), analysed the impact on nations of the risk situation for maritime transport in the Red Sea. If African countries, which are still suffering from recent crisis of the COVID-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine, not only Nor will they escape the effects of the new crisis that is leading to a reduction in ship transits through the Suez Canal where about 12% of world trade and 30% of the world's trade pass through. of the world's containerized traffic, the researchers note However, some African nations may be able to draw some commercial and strategic benefits.

In their analysis, Gopaldas, Van Dalen and Ndhlovu note that So far, the reaction to the new crisis in the financial and financial markets of raw materials has been contained, although the situation could change given the growing tensions between Iran, The U.S. and the U.K. could escalate aggression and extend the conflict to other areas, such as Iraq and the Houthi. Lebanon. In addition, there is a strong state of between Somalia, Ethiopia and Somaliland, with the government of Mogadishu which is opposed to Ethiopia, a nation without landlock, reaches a 50-year agreement with the breakaway region of Somaliland for the use of the port of Berber, on the Gulf of Aden, for both commercial and military purposes. The researchers point out that further pressure, in this context, is brought about by Egypt's willingness to intervene in Ethiopia's side.

In this scenario - according to Gopaldas, Van Dalen and Ndhlovu - Egypt and Djibouti should act more decisively in the region given that disruptions to maritime traffic represent a big problem for their state budgets, which are largely fuelled by royalty revenues with Egypt alone, it is losing more than 400 million euros. dollars per month due to the crisis in the Red Sea. In addition- Continued instability in the region could and Africa, such as importer of finished products, could be significantly affected by this trend already stimulated by the conflict in Ukraine, which could not be countered by the limited fiscal instruments and available to African politicians.

The analysis specifies that, however, as in any crisis, there will be winners and losers and that, among the beneficiaries, there could be Mauritius, Madagascar and, in part, Namibia as they are located in strategic points on the sea route connecting Asia to Europe circumnavigating Africa. In addition, Gopaldas, Van Dalen and Ndhlovu - South Africa could also benefit the most profit, given its location and modern infrastructure port and logistics services, if the potential gains were not nullified by the inefficiency of the public company Transnet. Nations along the coast of the Indian Ocean such as Kenya, Tanzania and Angola - the researchers also specify - are equipped with better compared to Mauritius, Madagascar and Namibia, but they are off the traditional sea routes around Cape Buona Hope, and Mozambique, which is in a better position However, it has only just begun the renewal of its harbours.