Global Powers Vie for Influence as Red Sea Geopolitics Intensify

The Red Sea is becoming a geopolitical hotspot, with global powers scrambling for influence amid growing instability in the Horn of Africa. Djibouti, strategically located by the Bab al-Mandab strait, hosts the only permanent American and Chinese military bases in Africa, alongside those of France, Japan, and Italy. Despite regional chaos—from Sudan’s civil war to tensions in Ethiopia and Somalia’s disintegration—Djibouti remains a rare haven of stability. Recent Houthi missile attacks have slashed Red Sea cargo traffic by two-thirds, raising stakes for control and security. As competition intensifies in a multipolar world, the Red Sea’s strategic importance is under sharper focus.

The Economist