Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: Al-Houthi rebels ask for independently monitored ceasefire; government forces kill 13 al-Houthi rebels outside of Aal Oqab in Sa'ada; UN Refugee Agency appeals for aid corridor; Yemeni Minister of Human Rights will participate in 12th session of the Human Rights Council

Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab proclaims allegiance to bin Laden in video; U.S. reiterates support for the AU mission in Somalia; Ethiopian ONLF denies any cooperation with al-Shabaab; al-Shabaab establishes new administrative system with cooperation of clan elders in Middle Shabelle region

Yemen Security Brief

• Al-Houthi rebels asked for an independently monitored ceasefire supervised by a local committee.� Two ceasefires have been declared over the past month by the government, but each lasted no more than a few hours.� Mohammad Abdessalam, a spokesman for the rebels, said, "We want the war to stop . . . It is not in our interest for it to continue."[1]

• Government forces killed 13 al-Houthi rebels this morning when the rebels attacked citizens in the village of Aal Oqab in Sa'ada.� Soldiers seized the rebels' weapons and removed land mines, securing the road in the process.[2]

• The UN Refugee Agency reiterated the need for a humanitarian corridor that would allow for the delivery of aid, especially to Sa'ada.�� New families continue to arrive in the al-Mazreq camp in Hajjah province, and there are plans to open a refugee camp site in Khaiwan in Amran province.� Estimates maintain that 150,000 have been uprooted by the latest round of fighting. [3]

• Huda al-Ban, the Minister of Human Rights, will be in Geneva to participate in the 12th session of the Human Rights Council.� She will respond to the recommendations by the HRC on a May 2009 report submitted by Yemen that detailed legislative reforms and executive procedures in protecting human rights.[4]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Al-Shabaab released a video proclaiming its allegiance to bin Laden entitled, "Labaik ya Osama" (At Your Service, Osama).� An al-Shabaab official in Mogadishu confirmed the video's authenticity and that its aim was to persuade young people to "join the jihad."� The video shows clips of fighting, training sessions, and commentary criticizing the TFG.5]

• In a press conference held at the hospital treating AMISOM troops wounded in Thursday's suicide attacks, the United States Ambassador to Kenya, Michael Ranneberger said that the U.S. will redouble its support for AMISOM.� Twenty-one people were killed and ninety were injured by the blasts.� In addition to underscoring the U.S.'s support for AU peacekeeping troops, Ranneberger discussed al-Shabaab's recruitment of Somalis living abroad.[6]

• The Ethiopian Ogaden National Liberation Front denies any relationship with al-Shabaab in Somalia.� The ONLF seeks independence for the ethnic Somali region, Ogaden, from Ethiopia.� The Ethiopian government has denounced the group as a terrorist organization supported by Eritrea.� This comes after a local governor said that ONLF militiamen helped al-Shabaab force government troops out of the border town of Yed.[7]

• Clan elders in the Middle Shabelle region have been negotiating with al-Shabaab militants.� In return for their cooperation, the elders have been promised security and stability within the region.[8]

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