Eritrea Releases 80 Yemeni Fishermen After Months in Detention

Around 80 Yemeni fishermen returned home on Monday, marking an end to their three-month-long detention in Eritrea, a Yemeni government official disclosed on Tuesday. The fishermen arrived at the port of Al Khawkhah, situated south of the Hodeidah province, after Eritrean authorities intercepted their boats in territorial waters and subsequently held them captive on the Eritrean island, Terma.

Their release followed a request by the Yemeni Embassy in Asmara, although their boats and fishing equipment were not returned. According to the recently released fishermen, around 100 of their compatriots remain imprisoned in Eritrea.

Since 2017, the Yemeni coastline along the Red Sea, particularly the western regions, has been marked by instability due to ongoing military conflict between Yemeni government forces and the Houthi rebels. Yemen’s government has frequently accused the Eritrean Navy of detaining Yemeni fishermen within Yemeni or international waters in the Red Sea.