Yemen: Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al Qirbi estimates presence of three hundred al Qaeda militants in Yemen and calls for increased levels of support; Yemen pledges further action against AQAP; government troops attack al Houthi rebels in al Malahaidh; one soldier dies from wounds sustained during Southern Movement demonstration in Lahj province
Horn of Africa: Somali IDPs demonstrate against water shortages; al Shabaab exacts taxes from Mogadishu businessmen; al Shabaab bans Radio Mogadishu; fighting breaks out near Beledweyne; al Shabaab rejects proposal for semi-autonomous state in south; Somali pirates seize two more vessels; Ethiopian troops withdraw from positions in Hiraan and Galmudug regions; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of the Eritrean Kunama declares it will launch attacks after imposition of UN sanctions
Yemen Security Brief
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Yemeni Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al Qirbi said that there may be as many as 300 al Qaeda operatives in Yemen, some of whom may be planning to attack on Western targets similar to that of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab. Al Qirbi called for intelligence-sharing in order to stop al Qaeda suspects from entering Yemen and appealed for increased levels of support from the international community. He termed the U.S., British, and EU support already received by Yemen as "inadequate."[1]
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A security source pledged that there would be more Yemeni military operations against AQAP and mocked the threats made by the group. The source noted that those threats did not need to be taken seriously by the government.[2]
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The Yemeni Defense Ministry stated on its website that government troops had attacked al Houthi rebel positions in the al Malahaidh area. The al Houthi rebels published on their website that Saudi planes had flown sixteen sorties (i.e. aircraft) over the area and that al Malahaidh had been shelled, among other areas.[3]
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One soldier died from injuries sustained during Southern Movement demonstrations in al Hota district of Lahj province. Sources report that seven people were injured when separatists tried to enforce Tariq al Fadhli's call for civil disobedience.[4]
Horn of Africa Security Brief
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Somali IDPs demonstrated against a water shortage by marching along the road connecting Afgoi to Mogadishu, especially between the villages of Lafole and Hawo Abdi. MSF, a charity organization, recently announced that it would end its water distribution to IDPs on January 1, 2010.[5]
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Al Shabaab has levied taxes on businessmen in Bakara Market in Mogadishu. In a meeting between al Shabaab officials and representatives of the businessmen, the businessmen refused to pay the taxes until they were threatened by al Shabaab. The group has already imposed taxes on other regions under its control in Somalia.[6]
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Al Shabaab has banned Radio Mogadishu, accusing the station of being biased against the group. Radio Mogadishu began its broadcasts recently, in an effort by the Transitional Federal Government to counter other stations that are Islamist-controlled.[7]
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Fighting broke out between Hizb al Islam and an armed group near Beledweyne. Reports say that the clashes began at Hajub Valley, about 7 km east of the town, where attackers struck Hizb al Islam's bases. Moallin Farah Dayd, a Hizb al Islam official, declared that Hizb al Islam would pursue the armed group and attack its stronghold.[8]
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Al Shabaab rejected plans proposed by pro-government groups to form a semi-autonomous state in southern Somalia. The Information Officer for the al Shabaab administration in the Jubba region said that no other group would be permitted to form a state in the south. Aden Mohamed Nur, also known as Saransour, declared that a meeting had been held on the issue in Dolow in Gedo region. Reportedly, two hundred delegates were present.[9]
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Somali pirates captured two vessels – a British-flagged chemical tanker and a Panama-flagged cargo ship. Somali pirates now hold ten ships, and have turned piracy into a lucrative business as large ransom payments attract both Somali and international investors. The International Maritime Bureau notes a marked increase in the number of pirate attacks this year, and attributes this to the increased range and level of activity of Somali pirates.[10]
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Ethiopian troops have withdrawn from positions in Balanbal and the Kala-beyrka junction in Hiraan and Galgudud regions. Residents report that government troops have been seen at Kala-beyrka and that the Ethiopians have gone to the Ethiopian border town of Ferfer.[11]
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The Democratic Movement for the Liberation of the Eritrean Kunama (DMLEK) announced that it was ìprepared to launch attacksî on Eritrean government troops following the UNís imposition of tough sanctions on Asmara. DMLEK is a member of the Eritrean Democratic Alliance, an Ethiopia-based coalition, whose members often stage hit-and-run attacks on the government. Eritrean President Issaias Afeworki considers these groups to have links to Ethiopia.[12]