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: Hadi government shoots down al Houthi drone in al Hudaydah; Hadi government-aligned Parliament concludes final session in Hadramawt; Saudi-led coalition launches new offensive against al Houthi forces in Hajjah
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab claims attacks on Kenyan and Ethiopian troops in southern Somalia; Sudanese military government moves President Bashir to prison
Yemen Security Brief
Forces aligned with President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government shot down an al Houthi CORRECTIONA previous edition of the Security Review incorrectly stated that Hadi government forces shot down a helicopter.drone in in al Hudaydah governorate on April 17.[1]
Yemeni Parliament concluded its final session on April 17 after convening in in Hadramawt governorate in eastern Yemen on April 13. The House of Representatives issued a statement urging the Hadi government not to engage in further negotiations about the Yemen conflict until the UN-brokered Stockholm Agreement is implemented.[2]
The Saudi-led coalition and Hadi government forces launched a new offensive against the al Houthi movement in Hiran district in Hajjah governorate in northern Yemen on April 16. The coalition conducted multiple airstrikes against al Houthi forces. Al Houthi forces repelled the offensive, according to al Houthi media.[3]
Horn of Africa Security Brief
Al Shabaab claimed to detonate an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a convoy of Kenyan soldiers in near the Somalia-Kenya border in southern Somalia on April 15. Al Shabaab claimed to kill 15 soldiers and wound nine others. Al Shabaab separately claimed to detonate an IED targeting a convoy of Ethiopian soldiers near town in Bakool region in southern Somalia on April 14, killing six soldiers. Neither attack is confirmed.[4]
Sudanese authorities moved Sudan’s recently deposed President, Omar al Bashir, from his residence to a prison in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on April 17. Sudan’s transitional military council has stated that they will try Bashir in Sudan rather than extradite him to the International Criminal Court, where he faces charges for war crimes in Darfur. The Ugandan government has separately stated that it would consider granting Bashir asylum. The Sudanese military ousted Bashir on April 11 after months of anti-regime protests.[5]
[1] “The army announces the downing of a Houthi military aircraft south of Hodeidah,” Musnad, April 17, 2019, http://mosnad.com/news.php?id=44564.
[2] “Text of the final statement issued by the meetings of the House of Representatives in Hadramawt,” Nashwan News, April 17, 2019, https://nashwannews.com/122760/%D9%86%D8%B5-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AE%D8%AA%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%A7%D8%AF%D8%B1-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D8%A7%D8%AC%D8%AA%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85/.
[3] “Saudi Coalition suffers large number of casualties in failed Yemeni border offensive,” Al Masdar News, April 17, 2019, https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/saudi-coalition-suffers-large-number-of-casualties-in-failed-yemeni-border-offensive/.
[4] “Shabaab claims killing 15 Kenyan and 6 Ethiopian troops in separate bombings in Bakool and Lower Juba,” SITE Intelligence Group, April 16, 2019, English translation available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com
[5] “Sudan's Bashir Moved to Khartoum's Kobar Prison: Family Sources,” Reuters, April 17, 2019, http://news.trust.org/item/20190417082851-g13qz/.
