Gulf of Aden Security Review – June 8, 2022

Yemen: Houthis reject revised UN Plan to reopen roads in Taiz governorate; likely Houthi militants assassinate Houthi military official in western Yemen

Somalia: SFG closes main roads in Mogadishu; NISA secures a village in southern Somalia; al Shabaab assassinates a Burundian ATMIS soldier in central Somalia; al Shabaab IED targets a Kenyan police convoy in eastern Kenya

Yemen Security Brief:

The Houthi delegation rejected UN’s revised plan to reopen roads around Taiz governorate and returned to Sana’a on June 7. [i] Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg presented a revised plan to reopen roads around Taiz governorate to the Yemeni government (ROYG) and Houthi delegations in Amman, Jordan on June 6.[ii] The revised plan included proposals to reopen a “main route” leading into and out of Taiz city as well as other roads in other governorates. Sources later reported that the proposal called for reopening four roads in Taiz governorate and one linking Taiz to Lahij governorate as part of the “first stage” of reopenings. The “second stage” includes opening two other roads in Taiz and another linking Taiz to al Dhaleh governorate.[iii] The ROYG reportedly accepted this proposal. A member of the ROYG delegation reported that the Houthis insisted upon discussing reopening “secondary” roads and rejected reopening the roads proposed in the UN plan.

Likely Houthi militants assassinated Houthi military official Ali Mohsen al Bahri in al Hudaydah city, western Yemen, on June 7.[iv] Al Bahri was reportedly an “expert” in explosives manufacturing and missile development.

Somalia Security Brief:

Somali security forces closed roads in Mogadishu on June 7 in preparation for the June 9 presidential inauguration ceremony.[v] The closed roads are Maka al Mukarama, Military Hospital, Intersection Number Four, Sobe, Banadir Junction, and October 21.

Somali National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA) forces secured Busley Da’ud village in Qoryoley district, Lower Shabelle region, southern Somalia, on June 6.[vi]           

Al Shabaab assassinated a Burundian African Union Transition Mission in Somalia (ATMIS) soldier in Balad, Middle Shabelle region, central Somalia, on June 6.[vii]      

Al Shabaab detonated an improvised explosive device (IED) targeting a Kenyan police convoy near Sangaliu, Garissa County, eastern Kenya, on June 6. [viii] The police convoy traveled from Masalani, Tana River County, eastern Kenya, to Sangaliu, Garissa County. Local officials claimed the IED killed five police officers from the Critical Infrastructure Protection Unit.