Gulf of Aden Security Review - October 8, 2015

Yemen: Bomb hits wedding party in Dhamar; Hadi government dismisses al Houthi UN agreement as “maneuver”

Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab attack on military base is repulsed in Bulo-Addey village, Bay region; Fransisco Caetano Jose Madeira is appointed as new AMISOM organization head

Yemen Security Brief

• A rocket attack killed approximately 23 people at a wedding party in Sanaban, Dhamar governorate on October 7. The attack reportedly killed three brothers who were getting married in a joint ceremony. It is not yet clear whether the gathering was targeted by shelling from ground forces or an airstrike. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack.[1]

• President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government criticized the al Houthi’s October 6 acceptance of a UN peace plan as a “maneuver.” President Hadi’s press secretary Mukhtar Alrahbi reiterated the government’s refusal to negotiate until the al Houthis disarm and withdraw without preconditions.  Representatives from the al Houthis and the Yemeni General People’s Congress sent official letters to the UN on Tuesday, asserting their willingness to disarm and withdraw as part of a broader agreement that includes protections for their future interests.[2]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Al Shabaab militants attacked a military base manned by Somali National Army (SNA) and an Ethiopian African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM) contingent. The attack took place on October 8 in Bulo-Addey village, located in Bay region. The militants were successfully repulsed, and government officials have since stated that SNA and AMISOM forces did not suffer casualties in the attack.[3]

• African Union officials, on October 7, announced the appointment of Ambassador Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira as the new head of AMISOM. Ambassador Madeira initially served as Mozambique’s ambassador to various African countries, and has most recently served as the African Union’s (AU) Special Representative for Counter-Terrorism Cooperation. His appointment comes at a time when AMISOM is striving to continue pushing al Shabaab from Somalia’s borders while simultaneously trying to ensure a stable transition of power in 2016 when the country is hoping to host an inclusive and democratic election.[4]