Horn of Africa in April 2026: the most important developments in security
In the Horn of Africa in April 2026, the most covered security story was piracy off the coast of Somalia. On 24 and 25 April hijackers seized an oil tanker and took 17 crew members hostage, and on 27 April a cargo ship was hijacked, with reports of a rising piracy threat.
On land, Somali forces reported that at least nine members of al-Shabaab were killed in an intelligence operation on 4 April, and on 14 April Somalia reported another strike on the group with international support. Türkiye confirmed the deployment of aircraft to Somalia. Military officials said the United States had carried out nearly 50 airstrikes in Somalia so far this year, and reports described Somalia as the Islamic State group's new front line in Africa. Police in Kenya dismantled a suspected al-Shabaab network in Nairobi's Eastleigh district.
Houthi forces threatened, on 2 April and again on 17 April, to block the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, which links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden, without specifying a timeline or method. Concerns were also reported over a possible new war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
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