Gulf of Aden Security Review - October 7, 2009

Yemen: Yemeni army kills forty-one al-Houthi rebels and destroys five trucks carrying explosives; Riyadh expresses concern over al-Qaeda's presence in Yemen; al-Houthi's son participates in blood donation drive to help soldiers fighting the al-Houthi rebels�

Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab announces agreement with Hizb al-Islam to end dispute; Uganda mistakenly arrests Somali official; Hizb al-Islam announces capture of foreign fighters; Somali pirates mistakenly attacked French flagship

Yemen Security Brief

• The Yemeni army claims to have killed another twenty-nine al-Houthi rebels in an offensive against rebel-strongholds in the northern mountains. Twelve rebels were killed in clashes on Tuesday in the Harf Sufyan district and the army says it has destroyed five trucks carrying explosives in Sa'ada.[1]

• Officials in Riyadh have expressed concern over the al-Qaeda presence in Yemen and what it could mean for Saudi Arabia's security. The failed suicide attack on the Saudi security chief at the end of August by an al-Qaeda member is an example of the security concerns faced by the country. There have not been any major arrests related to the incident, though the interior ministry spokesman has said that investigations were still ongoing.[2]

• 1,140 Yemenis and Arabs donated blood to support the armed forces fighting the al-Houthi rebels. Abdullah Hussein al-Houthi, the son of the founder of the group, was among the donors and asked to be an activist in the campaign to end the northern armed rebellion. Additional plans are underway to help the internally displaced persons affected by the northern violence.[3]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Sheikh Hussein Ali Fido, al-Shabaab's head of political affairs and regional relationships, held a press conference to announce an agreement with Hizb al-Islam. The points agreed upon are: 1) To establish a committee to reach a resolution, 2) To try all crimes under Shari�a law, and 3) To fight together against "the enemy of Allah."� Hizb al-Islam has not commented on this announcement, but on Monday demanded that al-Shabaab admit to have deliberately attacked Kismayo, to apologize publicly, and to cede control of the town.[4]

• Sheikh Yusuf Mohamed Siad, Somalia's junior minister for defense, was arrested and then released in Uganda. Siad had been visiting relatives in Uganda, but had not notified the authorities of his presence. Earlier this year he had been in control of a Hizb al-Islam-affiliated militia, but defected to the government. Ugandan Colonel Felix Kulayigye said that there had been a report that a Somali dissident was in the country and that his security forces had acted on the tip.[5]

• Hizb al-Islam's spokesman, Sheikh Ishmael Hajji Adow Noor, reports that Hizb al-Islam had captured foreign fighters during clashes with al-Shabaab.[6]

• Somali pirates mistook a French military flagship for a cargo vessel and attempted to take control of the ship. Upon realizing their mistake, the pirates tried to flee, but the French were able to apprehend one of the skiffs with five men onboard. The flagship, La Somme, which is part of the EU's Atalanta anti-piracy mission, was 460 kilometers off the coast and on its way to supply fuel to frigates patrolling the shipping lanes.[7]�

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