Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: Pro-government forces reverse some al Houthi gains in Ma’rib; AQAP conducts two attacks in al Bayda; Islah and STC forces carry out competing deployments in Abyan

Somalia: Somali officials urge regional governments to hold lower house elections; SFG expels African Union representative

Yemen Security Brief

Pro–Yemeni government forces counterattacked the al Houthi movement in al Jubah district, Ma’rib governorate on November 5.[i] The counterattack caused a minor al Houthi retreat to new positions between al Amoud and Yara villages. The al Houthis captured the headquarters of the 117^th Yemeni Army Brigade, southeast of Ma’rib city, on November 4.[ii]

Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) conducted two attacks targeting al Houthi fighters in al Bayda governorate on November 1 and 2.[iii] AQAP claimed the second attack caused casualties. These are the third and fourth AQAP attacks in al Bayda since October 28.

Islah-backed forces deployed near Shaqra in Abyan governorate, southern Yemen, on November 3.[iv] Four Southern Transitional Council (STC)–aligned brigades deployed between Sheikh Salem, Abyan, and Shaqra on November 2.[v] Islah and the STC fought each other for control of Abyan in 2020.

Somalia Security Brief

Prime Minister Mohammed Hussein Roble and the chairperson of Somalia’s Federal Electoral Implementation Team pressed state governments to begin lower house elections. Roble said the elections are an urgent matter and must be accelerated.[vi] Chairperson Mohamed Hassan Irro declared elections should begin in the “coming weeks.”[vii] Both made it clear the regional governments received all required materials to hold elections. Somaliland became the first and only federal member state to begin its lower house elections on November 1.[viii]

The Somali Federal Government (SFG) ordered the Special Representative of the Chairperson of the African Union Commission for Somalia to leave the country in seven days. The SFG declared Simon Mulongo persona non grata for “engaging in activities contrary to the AMISOM mandate and security strategy.”[ix]