Yemen accuses Eritrea, Puntland State of abusing fishermen in Red Sea, Gulf of Aden

Mogadishu — Yemen’s Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Water Resources has accused Eritrean forces and Somalia’s Puntland State administration of deadly attacks, arbitrary arrests and illegal detentions targeting Yemeni fishermen operating in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden.

In a statement issued Monday, the ministry said Eritrean forces carried out a direct armed assault on civilian fishermen working in Yemen’s territorial waters in the Red Sea. The incident, according to the ministry, involved multiple types of weapons and resulted in deaths and injuries. It said several fishermen were arrested during the attack and forcibly taken away. The statement did not provide casualty figures.

The ministry called the episode a grave threat to the safety and livelihoods of Yemeni fishing communities and said it violated the legal right of fishermen to work and live with dignity. It held the Eritrean government responsible under international and humanitarian law and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, their safe return to Yemen, and the restoration of boats, equipment and personal belongings without loss.

Separately, Yemeni officials condemned what they described as illegal actions by Puntland State authorities in northeastern Somalia, particularly in the port city of Bosaso on the Gulf of Aden. The statement said fishermen from Yemen’s Hadramawt region were arrested while at sea and that their boats, gear and catch were confiscated. It said the Puntland State administration bears responsibility for violations against Yemeni crews and called for their release and the return of seized property.

The ministry urged the United Nations, international organizations and human rights and humanitarian agencies to condemn the incidents and take swift steps to protect Yemeni fishermen operating near maritime borders and in international waters. It said accountability was needed for those responsible for abuses and called for guarantees to prevent further attacks and detentions.

The Red Sea and Gulf of Aden are vital to local economies on both shores, where artisanal fishing sustains thousands of families. Yemen’s eastern Hadramawt governorate sends many small crews across these waters, often in wooden dhows, to chase seasonal stocks. Regional disputes over territorial waters, licensing and enforcement, alongside broader security frictions, have at times put those fishermen at risk.

In recent years, Puntland State authorities have repeatedly detained Yemeni fishermen, accusing them of illegal fishing in Somali waters — a practice that has periodically strained relations between local Somali administrations and Yemeni coastal communities. Monday’s statement from Sana’a underscores how those long-running tensions intersect with security concerns in the Red Sea, where competing claims and enforcement efforts can escalate rapidly at sea.

The ministry’s accusations against Eritrean forces and Puntland State authorities come amid renewed appeals by Yemeni officials for international oversight of maritime incidents and for clearer protections for civilian crews working near contested waters. As the fishing season draws more boats into border zones in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, the ministry warned that unaddressed violations could further endanger lives and undermine already fragile livelihoods.

Yemen asked for international engagement to secure safe passage for its fishermen, formal mechanisms for the return of detainees and seized property, and accountability processes consistent with international maritime and humanitarian law.

By Ali Musa

Axadle Times international–Monitoring.