Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: Bomb kills at least three civilians in eastern Hadramawt governorate; Yemeni security forces arrest two suspected AQAP operatives in Sana’a; unidentified gunmen block governor’s compound in northern al Jawf governorate; President Hadi delivers speech at UN General Assembly in New York; unidentified gunmen kill at least one civilian in southwestern Taiz governorate

Horn of Africa: UN mini-summit on Somalia takes place in New York City; Egyptian president pledges support to Somalia; Somali government extends new offer to al Shabaab militants; al Shabaab plans infiltration of security forces in Mogadishu

Yemen Security Brief

• An improvised explosive device (IED) killed at least three children in the al Qatan area of eastern Hadramawt governorate on September 27. According to local sources, the children were walking in front of a courthouse when the IED exploded.[1]

• Yemeni security forces arrested two suspected al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) operatives during a raid in Sana’a on September 25. According to local sources, Yemeni security forces conducted a successful surveillance operation before raiding an unidentified location near al Qahira Street in central Sana’a.[2]

• Unidentified gunmen prevented Governor Mohammed Salem Bin Aboud from entering his government compound in northern al Jawf governorate on September 24. According to local sources, clashes broke out between Governor Bin Aboud’s security forces and the unidentified gunmen. Mohammed Salem Bin Aboud was appointed as the new governor of al Jawf governorate on September 11.[3]

• Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi urged the international community to fulfill its financial commitments to Yemen during a speech at the United Nations General Assembly on September 26. President Hadi added that Yemeni people are suffering from political, economic, security, and social obstacles that will hinder Yemen’s development over the coming decade.[4]

• Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a security patrol in southwestern Taiz governorate on September 27, killing at least one civilian and wounding five others. According to local sources, Yemeni security forces arrested one gunmen involved in the attack and confiscated a vehicle they were using.[5]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• A UN mini-summit on Somalia took place on September 27 at the United Nations headquarters in New York City. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon praised Somalia for the peaceful end of the transitional government and the election of a new president. Secretary General Ki-Moon encouraged other nations to establish a presence within the country and promised to help Somalia increase its security capabilities and general knowledge about humanitarian laws. Somali President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud attended the mini-summit via video chat and described his plans to first and foremost strengthen security in the country. Prime Minister Abdiweli Mohamed Ali was present in New York and reaffirmed that Somalia is on its way to becoming a peaceful and stable country.[6]

• Egyptian President Mohamed Morsi pledged his country’s support to help Somalia move toward peace on September 26. He explained his belief that the root of the fighting was a misunderstanding of violence in Islam. He described Egypt’s hope to work with Somalia in many different aspects, including spreading a greater knowledge of Islam in order to create a safer country.[7]

• The Somali government extended an offer to al Shabaab militants living in southern Somalia on September 25. The government has offered to accept the militants back into civilian life, promising jobs and training if they peacefully turn themselves in and renounce the insurgency.[8]

• The terror network al Shabaab is reportedly planning an infiltration of the Somali security forces in Mogadishu. Al Shabaab is planning on passing off its own troops as members of the Islamist group Hizb al Islam that recently said they were breaking ties with al Shabaab. Through Hizb al Islam al Shabaab hopes to incorporate its people into the Somali security forces in Mogadishu.[9]