The Hanish Archipelago

🏝️ An Overview of the Archipelago

The Hanish Islands constitute an archipelago situated within the Red Sea. This chain is characterized by a central cluster of three major islands, surrounded by a more extensive collection of smaller islets and rocky outcrops. The principal islands include Zuqar Island to the north, Great Hanish centrally located, and the smaller Little Hanish situated between them. Predominantly under the administration of Yemen, the archipelago's sovereignty has been a subject of international arbitration, with several small southwestern islets and rocks ultimately assigned to Eritrea following the Hanish Islands conflict.

🏛️ Imperial Claims and Colonial Influence

Historically, the Hanish archipelago was under the nominal control of the Ottoman Empire. Following the empire's dissolution after World War I, the islands' sovereignty became indeterminate, as stipulated by the Treaty of Lausanne. During the early 20th century, Italy, with its colonial presence in nearby Italian Eritrea, exerted loose control over fishermen frequenting the islands. This period saw shifting influences, with Britain occupying the islands in 1915, partly to preempt Italian expansion. A subsequent Anglo-Italian Agreement in 1938 attempted to delineate spheres of influence but left the ultimate sovereignty unresolved, with both parties agreeing to refrain from exercising sovereignty beyond stationing agreed officials.

lighthouse Maritime Infrastructure and Shifting Responsibilities

The strategic importance of the islands for maritime navigation was recognized early on. In 1938, an agreement included provisions for the maintenance of lighthouses. Responsibility for these vital navigational aids was later transferred to Yemen in 1989, underscoring the evolving geopolitical landscape and the archipelago's role in facilitating Red Sea passage.

⚔️ Post-Colonial Disputes and Conflict

With Eritrea achieving independence in 1991, attempts were made to assert sovereignty over the Hanish Islands, particularly Great Hanish. The breakdown of peaceful negotiations with Yemen in 1995 escalated into the Hanish Islands conflict. This territorial dispute culminated in a two-year war. In 1998, both nations agreed to arbitration by the Permanent Court of Arbitration. The ruling largely favored Yemen, granting it sovereignty over the archipelago, while assigning several smaller islands and islets to Eritrea. The conflict resulted in casualties on both sides, highlighting the sensitive nature of maritime boundaries in the region.

💥 Recent Conflicts

More recently, the Hanish Islands became a theater of operations during the Yemeni Civil War (2015–present). Intense fighting occurred between forces loyal to the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh and Houthi insurgents on one side, and forces aligned with the acting president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi, supported by a Saudi Arabian-led coalition, on the other. This conflict further complicated the geopolitical situation in the strategically vital Red Sea region.

🇾🇪 Yemeni Governance

The Hanish Islands are primarily administered by Yemen. They fall under the jurisdiction of the Al Hudaydah Governorate, one of the governorates of Yemen. While the arbitration ruling granted Yemen sovereignty over the main archipelago, the ongoing civil war in Yemen has impacted the effective governance and security of the islands, as with many other regions of the country.

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