Gulf of Aden Security Review – March 10, 2023

Yemen: STC spokesperson welcomes Saudi-Iran agreement; Emirati newspapers report a one-year, UN sponsored truce in Yemen is imminent; STC-backed forces dismantle a likely AQAP IED in Abyan

Somalia: Al Shabaab likely detonates a car bomb in Mogadishu; Turkish-trained special forces conclude training in Mogadishu; Kenyan defense secretary discusses counterterrorism efforts with local leaders from northeastern Kenya

Yemen Security Brief

The Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s spokesperson “welcomed” the resumption of diplomatic relations between Saudi Arabia and Iran after mediation from China on March 10.[i] The STC said the reconciliation will improve security and stability in the Middle East.

Emirati newspapers reported on March 9 that a one-year, UN-sponsored truce extension agreement between the Houthis and Yemeni government is imminent.[ii] Unspecified diplomatic sources said that the new extension will be part of a “comprehensive peace agreement and not just a ceasefire agreement.” Emirati media linked the progress in negotiations to a meeting between Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and the Yemeni president and several deputies on March 7.

The STC-backed al Hizam Security Forces in Abyan dismantled an improvised explosive device (IED) planted by likely al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) militants in the Lawder city Market, Abyan governorate, southern Yemen, on March 9.[iii] The al Hizam reported that the IED was locally manufactured and contained 9kg of TNT.

Somalia Security Brief

Al Shabaab likely detonated a car bomb in Hamar Weyne district, Mogadishu, on March 9.[iv] The explosion injured one civilian.[v] 

A new batch of Turkish-trained Gorgor special forces soldiers graduated training in Mogadishu, on March 9.[vi]

The Kenyan defense cabinet secretary met with local leaders and MPs from the Somali regions of northeastern Kenya to discuss counterterrorism efforts in Nairobi, Kenya, on March 9.[vii] The cabinet secretary asked the leaders to share intelligence on national security issues and increase security along the border, as Kenya is aiming to re-open its borders to allow for transnational trade.[viii]