Gulf of Aden Security Review
A regularly updated review of both Yemen and the Horn of Africa covering topics related to security, governance, and militant activity.
Yemen: Saudi-backed Hadi government forces claim recapturing al Houthi territory in Ma’rib governorate; Hadi government forces claim retaking al Houthi territory in Sa’ada governorate
Horn of Africa: AFRICOM announces investigative initiative over alleged civilian airstrike casualties in Somalia; al Shabaab detonates IED killing SNA troops and civilian in Mogadishu; Ethiopian gunmen clash with KDF in northern Kenya
Yemen Security Brief:
The Saudi-backed forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi claimed that they recaptured several areas from the al Houthi movement in Sirwah district in Ma’rib governorate in northern Yemen on March 31. The coalition-backed forces took control of al Muhtadi, al Khattab, and Qaher Saba in Sirwah district, according to an anonymous military source. Saudi-backed Hadi government forces claimed attacking al Houthi militants in Sirwah district on March 31.[1]
Hadi government forces released a statement on March 31 claiming that they retook several areas from al Houthi militants in Baqim district in Sa’ada governorate in northern Yemen. A Hadi military official claimed that Hadi government forces captured al Houthi militants and inflicted several casualties. Saudi-backed Hadi government forces seized an area from the al Houthi movement in al Safra district in Sa’ada governorate on March 31.[2]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
US Africa Command (AFRICOM) announced on March 31 that it would begin releasing quarterly investigative reports over allegations concerning civilian airstrike casualties in Somalia. This announcement came hours before Amnesty International published a report claiming that two AFRICOM airstrikes killed and injured civilians near Jilib in southern Somalia’s Middle Jubba region in February. Amnesty International previously released a report on AFRICOM civilian casualties in March 2019.[3]
Al Shabaab detonated an improvised explosive device targeting a Somali National Army (SNA) vehicle near a hospital in Hodan district in the Somali capital Mogadishu on April 1. Gunmen shot at the vehicle after the blast, killing two SNA soldiers, one civilian, and injuring three unidentified bystanders. An al Shabaab militant detonated a suicide vest killing three civilians near the Somali Parliament in Mogadishu on March 25.[4]
Ethiopian gunmen clashed with the Kenyan Defense Force in Moyale in northern Kenya’s Marsabit County on April 1. These clashes occurred after gunmen attacked Kenyan construction workers digging tunnels along the Kenyan-Ethiopian border. The county administration hired the workers for this project to stop movement along the border to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.[5]
[1] “Advances to the national army in Marib and Saada,” Mareb Press, April 1, 2020, https://marebpress.net/news_details.php?lang=arabic&sid=162285; and Jessica Kocan and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 31, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 31, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-31-2020.
[2] “Advances to the national army in Marib and Saada,” Mareb Press, April 1, 2020, https://marebpress.net/news_details.php?lang=arabic&sid=162285; and Jessica Kocan and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 31, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 31, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-31-2020.
[3] “AFRICOM Civilian Casualty Status Report Initiative,” AFRICOM, March 31, 2020, https://www.africom.mil/media-room/pressrelease/32658/africom-civilian-casualty-status-report-initiative; “Zero accountability as civilian deaths mount from US air strikes,” Amnesty International, April 1, 2020, https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/news/2020/04/somalia-zero-accountability-as-civilian-deaths-mount-from-us-air-strikes/; and “The Hidden US War in Somalia,” Amnesty International, March 19, 2019, https://www.amnestyusa.org/reports/the-hidden-us-war-in-somalia/.
[4] Harun Maruf, “Three Dead in Mogadishu Blast,” Voice of America Somali, April 1, 2020, https://www.voasomali.com/a/5355025.html; and “Roadside bomb hit gov't forces vehicle in Hodan district, Mogadishu,” Goobjoog, April 1, 2020, http://goobjoog.com/english/breaking-newsroadside-bomb-hit-govt-forces-vehicle-in-hodan-district-mogadishu/.
[5] Jacob Walter, “Ethiopian Gunmen Open Fire On Kenyan Workers in Moyale,” Daily Nation, April 1, 2020, https://www.nation.co.ke/counties/marsabit/Ethiopian-gunmen-open-fire-on-Kenyan-workers/3444778-5510940-e6jyqx/index.html.
