In the Red Sea, repairs to three Internet cables damaged in February 2024 have been successfully completed. According to Datacenter Dynamics, citing Yemen’s Houthi rebel-controlled Ministry of Communications, Information Technology and Transport, AAE-1, EIG and Seacom cables have been restored in local waters.
It is believed that the reason for the disruption of the cables was the hit of the Rubymar ship by missiles. The damaged ship, abandoned by the crew, began to drift and probably hit the cables with its anchor – AAE-1, Seacom/TGN and Europe India Gateway (EIG) were damaged precisely at the time when the ship began to move uncontrollably.
Image source: Eduardo Casajús Gorostiaga/unsplash.com
Vessels have been attacked from Houthi-controlled Yemen in coastal waters since November 2023. Although the rebels claim that only ships linked to Israel are being targeted in retaliation for attacks on Palestinians, a very tense situation has created in the region as a whole, including in the field of cable communications.
In addition to the capital Sanaa, the Houthis control large swathes of Yemen. Some experts say this has made repairing the cables more difficult, although rebels say otherwise. The ministry has previously said it aims to facilitate repairs of all submarine cables in the region once parties obtain the necessary licenses and permits from it. Still, experts warned that many shipowners would be wary of operating in dangerous waters and dealing with a group viewed extremely negatively by U.S. authorities.
Either way, the repairs were completed by E-marine’s UAE-registered cable laying ship Niwa, although restoration efforts were abandoned earlier this month.
The Houthi-controlled government of the Republic of Yemen has stated the importance of protecting the infrastructure of licensed international submarine cables and their security.
Local authorities assert that given the connection of cable infrastructure with development and humanitarian initiatives that serve the benefit of the citizens of the Republic and the rest of the world, the Government of the Republic of Yemen has secured the necessary resources and permits to successfully carry out repair work in the region, in particular in Yemeni territorial waters.