Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: Anti-al Houthi forces push al Houthis into northeastern outskirts of Taiz city; Saudi-led coalition bombs al Hudaydah sea port

Horn of Africa: AMISOM commander accuses Ethiopian troops of taking orders from Addis Abba

Yemen Security Brief

• Popular Resistance forces continued seizing territory from the al Houthis and allied military forces in Taiz city, Taiz, on August 18. Battles for control of the Republican Palace in eastern Taiz are currently ongoing. The al Houthis appear to have retreated to the northeastern outskirts of the city in the al Hawban area.[1]

• Saudi-led coalition airplanes bombed the al Houthi-controlled port of al Hudaydah on August 18. The airstrikes targeted cranes and warehouses. The bombing comes a few days after coalition naval forces also bombed al Hudaydah on August 15. It appears that the coalition is targeting al Hudaydah in an attempt to cut off al Houthi supply routes.[2]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) Sector 4 Commander Colonel Abdirahman Abdi Dhimbil accused Ethiopian soldiers serving AMISOM of taking orders from Ethiopian officials instead of the African Union.  Colonel Dhimbil’s statement comes days after Ethiopian troops originally believed to be part of the Ethiopian Nation Defense Forces deserted towns in the Burundian-controlled Hiran region, allowing al Shabaab to seize the towns.[3]