Ethiopia: Policing Water, Neglecting Land – Why Naval Power Alone Cannot Save Red Sea

[Addis Standard] Addis Abeba — On paper, the coalition assembled to protect the Red Sea remains formidable. Between the U.S.-led Operation Prosperity Guardian and the European Union’s Aspides mission–recently extended through early 2026–the waters off Yemen are patrolled by some of the most sophisticated destroyers in naval history. Yet, as we move into February 2026, the data tells a sobering story: despite a brief, optimistic uptick in transits following the late-2025 ceasefire attempts, commercial traffic through the Suez Canal