Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 27, 2014

Yemen: Possible UN kidnapping suspect identified; Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development grants 21 million to Yemeni government; President Hadi meets with UAE Prime Minister

Horn of Africa: Mombasa county commissioner issues shoot to kill order to police in Kenya; AMISOM and SNA forces clash with al Shabaab in Hiraan region; Ethiopian AMISOM and SNA forces conduct security operation in Galgudud region

Yemen Security Brief

• A Yemeni tribal leader in Ma’rib governorate purportedly turned his son over to the Ministry of the Interior on March 26 and accused him of participating in the March 25 kidnapping of two Westerners working at the United Nations in Sana’a.[1]

• The Kuwait Fund for Arab Economic Development (KFAED) entered into an agreement with the Yemeni government on March 27 in Sana’a. Under the agreement, the KFAED will provide Yemen with a financing grant of USD 21 million to help improve roads and electricity networks in the city of Aden.[2]

• President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi met with United Arab Emirates' Vice President and Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum in Dubai on March 26 to discuss the results of the recent Arab League summit in Cairo, Egypt, and efforts to increase stability and security in Yemen.[3]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Mombasa County Commissioner Nelson Marwa issued a shoot to kill order to police on March 26 during the ongoing search for suspects linked to the March 22 assault on a church near Mombasa. Marwa justified the order by citing difficulties in prosecuting terrorism suspects, specifically the unwillingness of witnesses to testify against the suspects in court for fear of retribution.[4]

• AMISOM and Somali National Army (SNA) forces clashed with al Shabaab militants in Yasooman near Bulo-Burde district in Hiraan region on March 27. The SNA commander in Hiraan region, Osman Abdi Mumin, reported that al Shabaab suffered an unspecified number of casualties during the fighting. The Bulo-Burde district and surrounding areas of Hiraan region have seen heavy conflict after AMISOM and SNA forces seized the town of Bulo-Burde from al Shabaab militants on March 13.[5]

• Ethiopian AMISOM and SNA forces conducted a search operation throughout Elbur in Galgudud region on March 27, one day after seizing the town from al Shabaab militants. The militants reportedly removed vital water distribution equipment as they fled the town, prompting the implementation of evacuation procedures. Although unable to recover the water distribution equipment, the Ethiopian and SNA troops discovered and confiscated explosive materials and ammunition during the operation.[6]