Image for representation purpose only As maritime tensions ripple across parts of the Middle East, security officials from Ethiopia, Yemen, Djibouti and Somalia gathered in Nairobi this week to tackle a shared concern: how to protect the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden from growing threats that no country can manage alone. The two-day Maritime Law Enforcement Dialogue, facilitated by the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) with support from the European Union, INTERPOL, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) , and the Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD), focused on strengthening information sharing and cooperation across the region. For officials attending, the timing was hard to ignore. “If you are talking about threats, the current attacks on the freedom of navigation in the Strait of Hormuz have an impact on Gulf of Aden because they are affecting maritime security. Pirates use this opportunity and the distraction of the maritime forces globally to do more attacks in this area, because they know that everyone is busy looking in another direction,” said Abdurrahim Muhammad Ali of the Djibouti Maritime Authority. Threats without borders The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden form one of the world’s most important maritime corridors, linking regional economies to international markets. Any disruption can affect shipping routes, supply chains and the movement of goods far beyond the region. According to Mostafa Elbanna, UNODC’s Regional Coordinator for the Red Sea and Gulf of Aden under its Global Maritime Crime Programme, the region faces a complex mix of interconnected challenges. “This is a great time to have this kind of discussion and dialogue with different agencies and law enforcement to talk about their challenges, and also the way forward when it comes to maritime security,” he said. Among the chief concerns are piracy, illegal fishing, trafficking in persons, migrant smuggling and narcotics trafficking. Officials say developments in one part of the reg