UK Redoubles Support for Yemeni Coastguard

The British minister responsible for the Middle East, Hamish Falconer, has redoubled the United Kingdom's support for the Yemeni Coastguard, demonstrated in a visit made in November to the Yemeni Coastguard's facility in Aden.

In the first visit by a British minister to Yemen since 2019, the Falconer was welcomed by the Yemeni Coastguard commander Maj Gen Khalid Al Qamali. After visiting the Coastgaurd's maritime situation center, he went aboard the 200GT patrol vessel Aden (IMO 4698611), built in 2011. This is one of two patrol boats which British aid has recently helped refurbish with a $3m donation made in September.

The British ambassador to Yemen Abda Sharif has also chaired the first steering committee meeting of the Yemeni Coastguard Coalition, bringing together the UK, the EU, United States, and Japan to help channel further support to the Yemeni Coastguard. This initiative should be of benefit to all parties, and if successful, would not only reduce conflict in the region, but also the need for a direct Western presence to counter arms smuggling and attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Aden, Bab el-Mandeb and Red Sea areas.

Hamish Falconer and Ambassador Abda Sharif visit Coastguard patrol vessel Aden and situation center(CJRC)

The UK has a long track record of nurturing the capability growth of coastguard forces in the area, both in Yemen and previously in providing training capability on the ground in Somalia. A UK official commented that the British aid was not prescriptive, but designed to give the Yemeni Coastguard the time and space to grow organically.

Hamish Falconer, interviewed recently by The National, has expressed concern about the shipment of arms across the Red Sea - in both directions, with the Houthis being both a recipient and a supplier of sophisticated weapons. Two vessels with links to Al Shabab in Somalia and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula were intercepted in November, having left Djibouti with 250 tonnes of advanced Chinese communications equipment. The minister was also concerned about smuggling into Sudan, but would not be drawn on specifics.