Gulf of Aden Security Review - July 20, 2012

Yemen: Yemenis protest outside President Hadi’s residence demanding the removal of Saleh loyalists from the military; plan to restructure the Yemeni military handed over to Hadi; Free Syrian Army accuses the al Houthi rebels of sending fighters to back Bashar al Assad’s regime

Horn of Africa: Unknown gunmen kill Finance Minister in Mogadishu on July 19; two groups of armed gangs kill middle-aged woman outside of her home in Wardhigley district; Nairobi Provincial Police receive intelligence on al Shabaab terrorist threats during Ramadan; Somali troops execute four Somali soldiers for killing their colleagues and civilians

Yemen Security Brief

• Thousands of Yemenis reportedly staged a sit-in outside of Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s residence on July 19. The protesters demanded that Hadi remove former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh’s relatives from the military and security apparatus, specifically Saleh’s son, Republican Guard Commander Ahmed Saleh, and his nephew, Central Security Forces Chief of General Staff Yahya Saleh.[1]

• Sources told al Khaleej, an Emirati newspaper, that the committee responsible for reorganizing the Yemeni military has handed over a plan to President Hadi. The plan seeks to mitigate divisions between branches of the Yemeni military and security units. If passed, the plan will allegedly be implemented with the assistance of the international community.[2]

• The Free Syrian Army (FSA) has accused the al Houthi rebels in northern Yemen of sending fighters to help prop up Syrian President Bashar al Assad’s regime. Syrian National Coalition (SNC) spokesman Wael Hafiz said, “The Syrian Free Army will defeat the Shabiha of the Assad regime including large numbers of Shiites brought from Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen.”[3]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Unidentified gunmen killed Finance Ministry Deputy Director Mohamed Ali Hussein near a livestock market after his evening prayer in Mogadishu on July 19. The motive behind the attack and those responsible are not yet known.[4]

• Two groups of armed gangs shot and killed a middle-aged woman outside of her home in Hamar Bile neighborhood in Wardhigley district on July 19. The shooting happened a few hours after the death of the Finance Minister. The motive behind the attack and the identities of the assailants are not yet known.[5]

• Nairobi Provincial Police chief, Anthony Kibuchi, received intelligence reports of al Shabaab threats to perform massive destruction in Nairobi during Ramadan. Police sources reported of intensified security in Nairobi, Mombasa, and border towns.[6]

• Somali troops executed four soldiers on July 19 after they were sentenced to death for killing colleagues in the army and civilians. High-ranking military officials, including Somali police commissioner General Sharif Sheikhuna Maye, were present at the execution site. Military court Judge Hassan Mohamed Hussein reported that the death sentence was done in accordance with Islamic teachings and Somalia’s penalty code.[7]