NAIROBI, July 24 (Xinhua) -- Kenya on Friday called on regional and international partners to pursue coordinated, peaceful solutions to the ongoing Middle East crisis following a wave of attacks on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
Kenyan Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi voiced grave concern over Houthi attacks targeting commercial vessels, including Saudi oil tankers, along the critical shipping lane.
Threats to blockade the Bab al-Mandab Strait pose a direct risk to global maritime security and international trade, he said, warning that the attacks could exacerbate the crisis by disrupting key global supply chains, particularly for oil and fertilizer.
He added that continued instability in the shipping corridor would hamper international trade while driving up freight costs and maritime insurance premiums.
"The resulting increase in import and production costs is expected to heighten inflationary pressures in Kenya and the wider region," he said.
Mudavadi noted that the country's government-to-government fuel import framework with major international oil suppliers, particularly Saudi Arabia, aims to insulate the domestic market from supply disruptions and petroleum price spikes caused by the Red Sea conflict and broader instability in the Middle East.
Mudavadi urged the international community to leverage all available diplomatic and multilateral channels to safeguard freedom of navigation and restore maritime security.
Calling the continued escalation of hostilities "deeply regrettable," he appealed to all parties involved to exercise maximum restraint, engage in sustained dialogue, and prioritize the well-being of the millions of civilians already affected by the widening Middle East crisis. ■