Somalia Backs Saudi Yemen Dialogue: What You Need to Know
Somalia has endorsed a Saudi-led initiative to host a Yemeni national dialogue conference in Riyadh, highlighting regional concerns over Yemen’s conflict and its impact on Red Sea and Horn of Africa security.
The Federal Government of Somalia has formally welcomed and endorsed a Saudi Arabia–led initiative aimed at reducing tensions and advancing a comprehensive national dialogue process in Yemen.
The endorsement follows Saudi Arabia’s announcement that it will host a high-level Yemeni national conference in Riyadh, intended to bring together key political and social stakeholders to revive peace talks.
The initiative is being spearheaded by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, while Somalia’s position was articulated by its Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The dialogue is expected to involve Yemeni political factions and actors, with backing from regional and international partners.
Somalia’s statement was issued on January 4, 2026. The proposed Yemeni national conference is scheduled to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
Yemen’s conflict, now entering its second decade, remains one of the world’s most complex and devastating crises, with severe humanitarian, security, and geopolitical consequences across the Red Sea and the Horn of Africa.
Somalia’s support underscores growing concern among Red Sea and Gulf of Aden states that prolonged instability in Yemen directly threatens regional maritime security, trade routes, and political stability.
According to Somalia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Saudi initiative reflects a “serious and constructive effort” to strengthen peaceful dialogue and safeguard Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, and long-term stability.
Somalia reaffirmed its support for all regional and international efforts aimed at achieving a sustainable political settlement, calling on Yemeni parties to prioritize dialogue, compromise, and national reconciliation over continued confrontation.
Saudi Arabia has played a central diplomatic and military role in Yemen since 2015. In recent years, Riyadh has increasingly shifted toward political engagement, de-escalation, and mediation, seeking a negotiated end to the conflict amid regional recalibrations and Red Sea security concerns.
For Somalia, stability in Yemen is not a distant issue. The two countries sit across a narrow maritime corridor, and insecurity in Yemen has historically fueled arms trafficking, piracy, and militant movements that affect the Horn of Africa.
Somalia’s endorsement aligns it with broader Arab and regional efforts to stabilise Yemen through diplomacy rather than military escalation. It also reflects Mogadishu’s expanding diplomatic engagement on Middle Eastern and Red Sea security issues, particularly as tensions in the region intensify.
By backing Saudi Arabia’s Yemen dialogue initiative, Somalia has positioned itself firmly in support of a negotiated political solution to one of the region’s most enduring conflicts. While significant obstacles remain, Mogadishu’s stance reinforces a growing regional consensus that sustainable peace in Yemen can only be achieved through inclusive dialogue, political compromise, and respect for national sovereignty.
