Gulf of Aden Security Review - October 30, 2009

Yemen: The Joint Meeting Parties, a coalition of Yemen's opposition parties, has demanded an end to the war in the north and repression in the south; tribal mediation ended the blockade of the Safar-Sana'a road; Yemeni Interior Minister discussed modernization of border supervision; al-Houthi rebels claim government warplane bombed civilian targets in Razeh in western Sa'ada

Horn of Africa: Breakaway Somaliland's president called for war against al-Shabaab; fighting between Puntland forces and local businessmen in Galkao killed six, injured fifteen; bomb scare in Uganda closed down sections of Kampala-Bombo road; fighting between tribes in the Mudug region killed two, injured four

Yemen Security Brief  

• Yemen's leading opposition coalition, the Joint Meeting Parties (JMP), have called to end the war in Sa'ada and to facilitate the transfer of humanitarian aid to the north. In addition, they have called on the authorities to end repressive actions against southern protestors, including the release of all political detainees. Sultan al-Atawani, a senior opposition leader, said that the JMP would not recognize any constitutional amendments presented by the president without a consensus that follows the February 23, 2009 agreements between the ruling party (the General People's Congress) and the JMP. Hassen Zayed, the leader of the JMP coalition, said that the opposition still plans to hold a comprehensive dialogue with all Yemeni leaders and demanded political and electoral reform.[1]

• Tribal mediation in Mar'ib has ended the blockade of Sana'a's gas supply by gunmen along the Safar-Sana'a road. The blockade was put in place by local arms dealers, one of which was also a Member of Parliament, after the government accused them of illegally importing Chinese-made weapons. The arm dealers involved, including MP Abdullah bin Muili, were hoping to pressure the government into reversing its decision to prohibit the importation of the illegal arms by creating a gas shortage throughout the country.[2]

• Yemeni Interior Minister Mutahar Rashad al-Masri met with Brine Hinsey, coordinator of the Border Passage Surveillance Project, to finalize the third phase of a Yemen-U.S. project that will modernize the border supervision of 24 Yemeni border corridors.[3]

• Al-Houthi rebels claim that government warplanes bombed the town of Razeh in western Sa'ada province. Government officials refused to comment and the reports could not be independently verified.[4]

Horn of Africa Security Brief  

• Marking the one-year anniversary of deadly attacks in the region, President Dahir Riyale Kahin of breakaway Somaliland called for a war against al-Shabaab. On October 29, 2008, multiple suicide bombers hit the Somaliland presidential palace, Ethiopia's diplomatic compound, and UN Development Program offices in Hargeisa, Somaliland's capital. Additionally, the leader of al-Shabaab, Ahmed Abdi Godane, also known as Mukhtar Abu Zubair, comes from Somaliland.[5]

• Fighting between forces loyal to Puntland and businessmen in Galkao in northern Somalia killed at least six people and wounded fifteen others. Reportedly, the fight broke out after Puntland troops tried to demolish the market building, to which the businessmen responded by burning the vehicle that was going to be used to tear down the building.[6]

• A bomb scare closed down areas of the road between Kampala and Bombo in Uganda this morning. Security has been high since al-Shabaab threatened retaliatory attacks against the Ugandans for sending troops to Somalia in support of AMISOM. Al-Shabaab blames the Ugandans for civilian deaths in Somalia.[7] 

• Fighting between two tribes began in Bahdo Gabo village in the Mudug region, which is in northern Somalia. Two people were killed and another four injured. There are indications that the tribes were fighting over grazing land and watering holes. [8]