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-led coalition airstrike kills al Houthi official in al Jawf governorate; al Houthi militants forcibly close UN offices in Sana’a
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab militants raid Jubbaland State security force base in southwestern Somalia; al Shabaab claims IED attacks on SNA fuel convoy in southern Somalia; al Shabaab COVID-19 committee announces COVID-19 healthcare facility in southwestern Somalia; former Somali president calls for non-AMISOM Ethiopian troops to leave Somalia
Yemen Security Brief:
A Saudi-led coalition airstrike reportedly killed an al Houthi official in al Jawf governorate in northern Yemen on June 11. Forces aligned with the internationally recognized Yemeni government of Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi claimed capturing several al Houthi-held positions and militant vehicles in al Jawf governorate in late May.[1]
Al Houthi militants forced the closure of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) office and other UN offices in the Yemeni capital of Sana’a on June 11, reportedly due to the UNHCR conducting activity harmful to Yemen’s national security. The al Houthi movement accused UN staff of covering up three coronavirus cases in UN offices in Sana’a in mid-April.[2]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
Al Shabaab militants attacked a Jubbaland State security force base near Elwaq in southwestern Somalia’s Lower Jubba region on June 10. The battle killed two militants and wounded two others and wounded three Jubbaland State security members, according to a Jubbaland State security official. Al Shabaab militants raided a Jubbaland State security force base near Dhobley in Lower Jubba region in late May.[3]
Pro-al Shabaab media outlet Somalimemo reported that al Shabaab militants detonated two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) targeting a Somali National Army (SNA) fuel convoy near Afgoi in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on June 12. The IEDs allegedly destroyed two fuel tankers and inflicted unspecified SNA casualties. Al Shabaab claimed ambushing and killing two SNA soldiers near Afgoi on June 10.[4]
The head of al Shabaab’s COVID-19 response committee announced on June 12 the creation of a COVID-19 isolation and care facility in al Shabaab’s stronghold of Jilib town in southwestern Somalia’s Middle Jubba region. Al Shabaab created its COVID-19 response committee in mid-May.[5]
Former Somali President Sharif Sheikh Ahmed called on June 9 for non-African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) Ethiopian forces to leave Somalia. Several Somali opposition parties signed a statement in late May condemning the presence of non-AMISOM Ethiopian troops in Somalia. Hundreds of non-AMISOM Ethiopian troops crossed the Somali-Ethiopian border into southwestern Somalia’s Gedo region in late March.[6]
[1] “The leader of the Hamdan Axis of the Houthi militia was killed in a raid by the Arab coalition in al Jawf governorate,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, June 11, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/168799; and “The fiercest battles in Al-Jouf and the army forces are regaining new positions,” Mareb Press, May 29, 2020, https://marebpress.net/news_details.php?lang=arabic&sid=164076.
[2] Amjad Qureshi, “The Houthis closed his office in Sanaa and imposed their conditions .. Griffiths is going to inform the Security Council of "Internet consultations," News Yemen, June 11, 2020, https://www.newsyemen.net/new/57098; “Houthi militias storm an international building in Sanaa,” Mareb Press, June 11, 2020, https://marebpress.net/news_details.php?lang=arabic&sid=164453; “After Griffiths received encouraging answers, he expected an imminent agreement to stop the war,” 7adramout, June 11, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/4MAY/7394676/%D8%A8%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%82%D9%8A-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%81%D9%8A%D8%AB-%D8%A5%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%AC%D8%B9%D8%A9%D8%AA%D9%88%D9%82%D8%B9%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%AA%D9%81%D8%A7%D9%82-%D9%88%D8%B4%D9%8A%D9%83-%D9%84%D9%88%D9%82%D9%81-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%B1%D8%A8.html; and Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – April 17, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, April 17, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-april-17-2020.
[3] “Al-Shabaab militants clash with Jubaland forces in Gedo,” Garowe, June 11, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/somalia-al-shabaab-militants-clash-with-jubaland-forces-in-gedo; and Muhammad Ramadhito and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 27, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, May 27, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-may-27-2020.
[4] Liibaan Jeexoow, “Two Federal Government Tankers Destroyed near Afgoi,” Somalimemo, June 12, 2020, https://somalimemo.net/articles/13107/Labo-Booyado-Oo-Dowladda-Federaalka-Looga-Gubay-Duleedka-Afgooye; and “Shabaab Ambush on SNA in Bakool Allegedly Inflicts 54 Casualties in Week of Relatively Few Attacks,” SITE Intelligence Group, June 11, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com.
[5] Abdi Guled, “Extremist group al-Shabab sets up COVID-19 center in Somalia,” June 12, 2020, https://apnews.com/fc7930ffdf0202de626a8fe043c7fb9b; and Muhammad Ramadhito and Kalissa Azooz, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - May 14, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, May 14, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-may-14-2020.
[6] “Ethiopian non-AMISOM troops under more pressure to withdraw from Somalia,” Garowe, June 11, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/ethiopian-non-amisom-troops-under-more-pressure-to-withdraw-from-somalia; Kalissa Azooz and Muhammad Ramadhito, “Gulf of Aden Security Review – May 22, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, May 22, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-may-22-2020; and Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 23, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 23, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-23-2020.
