Gulf of Aden Security Review - August 22, 2013

Yemen: Yemeni government apologizes to the south; AQAP militant describes operation on Shumukh forums; IED wounds bystander in Sana’a; IEDs in parliament building in Sana’a; Saudi border guards kill smuggler in Jizan, Saudi Arabia

Horn of Africa: UAE issues statement calling on banks and other financial institutions to freeze assets of individuals, including al Shabaab leadership; government soldiers causing insecurity in Afgoi, Lower Shabelle; Soma Oil and Gas to provide data to Somali government; al Shabaab to stop caning citizens; SFG and AMISOM forces seize villages in Lower Shabelle

Yemen Security Brief

• The Yemeni government officially apologized to southerners and residents of Sa’ada governorate for the military campaigns that the previous administration launched against those regions. Thousands of people protested across the south saying the government’s apology was insufficient.[1]

• An al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) fighter posted a description of an assassination operation that targeted an unnamed security officer on the Shumukh al Islam forums on August 20. The post described the difficulties his cell faced and how they carried out the terrorist operation.[2]

• A bomb planted in a military pickup failed to kill its target, but wounded one passerby in Sana’a on August 22. Reports were inconsistent as to whether the target was an intelligence officer or an official in the Yemeni Economic Corporation (YECO). Reports also differed as to whether the attack occurred in the Siyah or Shu’aub neighborhood of Sana’a. [3]

• A guard at the parliament building in Sana’a found five improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted in the building on August 22. Explosives experts disarmed the bombs. A different source claimed an IED was found near the parliament building but denied that any IEDs were found inside.[4]

• Saudi border guards killed one Yemeni weapons smuggler and captured three others in the border region of Wadi Abu Radif, Saudi Arabia.[5]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• The UAE Central Bank issued a list on August 21 naming suspected individuals wanted by international authorities whose assets were to be frozen if found. Al Shabaab was included on the list, as was Hassan Dahir Aweys, Hassan Abdullah al Hersi al Turki, Ahmed Abdi Godane, Fuad Mohamed Qalaf Shongole, Bashir Mohammad Mahmoud, Mohamed Said Atom, and Yassin Ali Baynah, among others.[6]

• The deputy security commissioner of Afgoi, Lower Shabelle region said that the presence of some government soldiers caused security issues with the residents. He demanded that the government transfer the soldiers to other towns or he would force them out.[7]

• New information about the deal between Soma Oil and Gas and the Somali Federal Government (SFG) revealed that the company agreed to provide the government with seismographic data on Somali’s coast in exchange for exploration rights to unclaimed areas. Some observers have labeled the deal as corrupt because it was made without a competitive bidding process.[8]

• Hiiraan reported that al Shabaab senior leader Fuad Mohamed Qalaf Shongole announced that al Shabaab will stop caning citizens for violations of shari’a law. Shongole said they will, “instead teach them about the religion.”[9]

• Somali government forces in coordination with AMISOM troops seized control of Mushani, Danow, and other villages in Lower Shabelle region. They did not report clashes with the al Shabaab fighters that had previously controlled the region.[10]