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-aligned forces exchange artillery with STC-aligned forces in Abyan governorate; STC forces clash with al Houthis in Dhaleh governorate
Horn of Africa: Kenyan police arrest alleged al Shabaab recruit en route to Somalia; Islamic State-aligned militants raid village in northern Mozambique
Yemen Security Brief:
Forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi exchanged artillery with forces aligned with the Transitional Political Council of the South (STC) in Zinjibar district in southern Yemen’s Abyan governorate on July 30. Hadi government-aligned forces previously clashed with STC-aligned forces in Abyan governorate in mid-July. The Hadi government and STC began implementing revised stipulations of the power-sharing, Riyadh Agreement, on July 29.[1]
STC forces clashed with al Houthi militants in Qataba district in southern Yemen’s Dhaleh governorate on July 31. STC forces previously clashed with al Houthi militants in Dhaleh governorate in mid-July.[2]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
Kenya’s Anti-Terrorism Police Unit arrested a suspected al Shabaab recruit at a train station in Kenya’s capital Nairobi on July 29. Al Shabaab recruiters in Kenya’s southern port city Mombasa radicalized the suspect before he attempted to board a train heading toward Somalia, according to Kenyan police officials. The US Embassy in Nairobi warned in late February that extremist groups are planning attacks on hotels in the capital.[3]
Islamic State-aligned militants raided Tandacua village near Macomia in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado Province on July 28 and 29. The militants stole food from the villagers and beheaded eight of them. Islamic State-aligned militants killed two civilians in Chai village near Macomia on July 25.[4]
[1] “Is it the beginning of the failure of the agreement … the return of clashes in Abyan between the national army and the transitional militia,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, July 30, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/173979; ; and Matthew Eady and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review, - July 29, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, July 29, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-july-29-2020.
[2] “Intermittent clashes on the fronts of north Dhaleh,” 7adramout, July 31, 2020,https://www.7adramout.net/almashhadalaraby/7453917/%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%A8%D8%A7%D9%83%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AA%D9%82%D8%B7%D8%B9%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%AC%D8%A8%D9%87%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B4%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9.html; “Southern forces carried out tight ambushes targeting Houthi groups in Dhaleh, 7adramout, July 22, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/aden-time/7445492/%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%82%D9%88%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%86%D9%88%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AA%D9%86%D9%81%D8%B0-%D9%83%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%A6%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%AD%D9%83%D9%85%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D8%B3%D8%AA%D9%87%D8%AF%D9%81%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%AC%D8%A7%D9%85%D9%8A%D8%B9-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B6%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B9.html.
[3] Joseph Ndunda, “Police nab man ‘ahead of travel to train with Shabaab in Somalia’,” Nairobi News, July 31, 2020, https://nairobinews.nation.co.ke/editors-picks/police-nab-man-ahead-of-travel-to-train-with-shabaab-in-somalia; and Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - February 28, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, February 28, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-february-28-2020.
[4] Andre Baptista and Sirwan Kajjo, “9 Civilians Die in Two Attacks in Northern Mozambique,” Voice of America, July 30, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/9-civilians-die-two-attacks-northern-mozambique; and Samuel Bloebaum and Matthew Eady, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – July 27, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, July 27, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review
