Yemen: U.S. Secretary of State meets with UN envoy to Yemen; al Houthi movement announces date of parliamentary elections
Horn of Africa: AFRICOM conducts airstrike in Lower Jubba region; SNA and Jubbaland forces conduct operation against al Shabaab near Jamame town; suspected al Shabaab militants detonate car bomb in Mogadishu
Yemen Security Brief
U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo met with UN Special Envoy to Yemen Martin Griffiths in Washington, D.C. on March 14 to discuss the implementation of the Stockholm Agreement. Pompeo expressed concern that the al Houthi movement is deliberately stalling implementation of the peace process. Pompeo separately stated in a press conference on March 15 that the U.S. must continue to support the Saudi-led coalition to ensure peace in Yemen. The U.S. Senate voted to end U.S. military assistance to the Saudi-led coalition on March 13.[1]
The al Houthi Movement announced on March 15 that parliamentary elections will be held in 34 districts on April 13 to fill vacant seats in the House of Representatives. Half of the districts with vacancies are controlled by the al Houthi Movement. The al Houthi Movement initially announced its intention to conduct these elections in early February. President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi also announced that he would move the High Electoral Commission headquarters from the al Houthi-controlled capital of Sana’a to in early February.[2]
Horn of Africa Security Brief
United States Africa Command (U.S. AFRICOM) conducted an airstrike against al Shabaab near Malayley in Lower Jubba region in southern Somalia on March 13. AFRICOM launched the strike, which killed three militants, after al Shabaab militants ambushed a Somali National Army (SNA) patrol.[3]
SNA and Jubbaland Security Forces conducted an operation against al Shabaab between Bar Sanguni village and in Lower Jubba region in southern Somalia on March 13. The SNA claimed to kill 16 al Shabaab militants in the operation.[4]
Suspected al Shabaab militants detonated a car bomb targeting a Somali police colonel on Makka al Mukarama road in the Somali capital Mogadishu on March 14. The officer survived the explosion.[5]
[1] “Secretary Pompeo’s meeting with UN Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen Martin Griffiths,” U.S. Department of State, March 14, 2019, https://www.state.gov/r/pa/prs/ps/2019/03/290376.htm; “U.S. Should not curb aid to Saudi-led coalition in Yemen: Pompeo,” US News, March 15, 2019, https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2019-03-15/us-should-not-curb-aid-to-saudi-led-coalition-in-yemen-pompeo; and “Remarks to the Press,” U.S. Department of State, March 15, 2019, https://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2019/03/290394.htm.
[2] “Houthis decide next month to fill vacant parliamentary seats,” Hadramawt news, March 15, 2019, https://www.7adramout.net/aden-time/2290347/%D8%A7%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%85%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B4%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%85---%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%80%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D9%88%D9%86-%D9%8A%D8%AD%D8%AF%D8%AF%D9%88%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D9%87%D8%B1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A8%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%84%D9%85%D9%84%D8%A1-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D9%82%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%AF-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B4%D8%A7%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A9.html.
[3] Carla Babb, “US Military Attacks al-Shabab for Third Time This Week,” Voice of America, March 14, 2019, https://www.voanews.com/a/us-military-attacks-al-shabab-for-third-time-this-week/4829440.html; and “US airstrike in Somalia targets al Shabaab,” Defence Web, March 15, 2019, https://www.defenceweb.co.za/security/civil-security/us-airstrike-in-somalia-targets-al-shabaab/.
[4] “Al-Shabab militants killed in southern Somalia,” Radio Shabelle, March 14, 2019, https://www.radioshabelle.com/al-shabab-militants-killed-in-southern-somalia/.
[5] “Somali police officer survives bomb attack in Mogadishu,” Mareeg, March 14, 2019, https://mareeg.com/somali-police-officer-survives-bomb-attack-in-mogadishu/.