Red Sea Submarine Cables Restored After Months of Negotiations Amid Conflict

In February 2024, several submarine cables near the Red Sea, including the Asia-Africa-Europe 1 (AAE-1), the Europe-India Gateway (EIG), and the SEACOM cable, suffered damages that resulted in significant disruptions. These cables, which facilitate a vast amount of internet traffic between Africa, Europe, and Asia, were forced to reroute their traffic through alternate submarine cables following the incident.

Investigations revealed that the AAE-1 cable was accidentally severed by the anchor of a cargo ship. This ship had been attacked by Houthi rebels in Yemen in early February, leading to the rescue of its crew but leaving the vessel adrift and eventually causing the damage to the submarine cable.

Given the high-risk factors, including the ongoing conflict in the region, no network operators or cable repair companies were initially willing to undertake the repair tasks. The high costs of submarine cable repair ships, coupled with the reluctance of insurance companies to cover operations in dangerous waters, further complicated the situation.

After months of negotiations, the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels reached an agreement allowing repair ships to enter the area. The UAE's telecom giant, E-Marine, successfully carried out the repair work on the AAE-1 cable. The Yemeni government announced this week that the AAE-1 cable is now back online.

E-Marine deployed repair ships and professionals to the affected area, recovering and repairing the damaged cable. Additionally, another repair vessel, the Niwa, remains in Yemeni waters to address damages to the SEACOM and EIG cables.

The AAE-1 submarine cable is a collaborative venture financed and operated by several international network operators, including Etisalat from the UAE, Telecom Egypt, Yemen's TeleYemen, Saudi Arabia's Mobily, and China Unicom, among others, making it a vital component of China Unicom's international cable network.

In May, the Yemeni government authorized repairs for the SEACOM and EIG cables but initially refused permission for AAE-1's repair due to suspicions of TeleYemen's connections with the Houthi rebels. This led to a refusal to approve repairs for the AAE-1 cable, which involved TeleYemen, and a criminal investigation into the company. The circumstances under which the AAE-1's operation consortium obtained permission for repairs remain unclear.