Gulf of Aden Security Review – March 20, 2023

Yemen: STC President travels to Moscow to meet with Russian officials; Houthis and ROYG will exchange nearly 900 prisoners

Somalia: Jubbaland State forces and African Union forces clear al Shabaab in southwestern Somalia; al Shabaab launches a complex suicide vest attack in southwestern Somalia; al Shabaab continues its anti-drug campaign in southern Somalia; Somali president visits Uganda

Yemen Security Brief

Southern Transitional Council (STC) President Ayadrus al Zubaidi traveled to Moscow, Russia on March 18 to meet with several unnamed Russian government officials.[i] Southern Yemeni media report that the meetings likely covered the recent developments in peace negotiations and the issue of southern Yemeni sovereignty.[ii]

Reuters reported on March 20 that the Houthis and the Republic of Yemen government (ROYG) have reached an agreement to exchange more than 880 prisoners between the two sides.[iii] The Houthi Prisoner Affairs committee head announced via Twitter on March 20 that the Houthis would release 181 prisoners, including Saudi and Sudanese nationals, in exchange for 706 prisoners held by the Yemeni government.[iv]

Somalia Security Brief

Jubbaland State forces and African Union forces cleared al Shabaab from Dhobley district, Lower Jubba region, southwestern Somalia, on March 17. [v]

Al Shabaab launched a complex suicide vest attack targeting soldiers in military training in Bardhere district, Gedo region, southwestern Somalia, on March 18.[vi] An al Shabaab fighter detonated a suicide vest before al Shabaab gunmen raided the camp. The attack killed one soldier and wounded four others.[vii]

Al Shabaab assassinated three local anti-al Shabaab fighters for allegedly using hashish in Afgoye district, Lower Shabelle region, southern Somalia, on March 19.[viii]  This attack is part of the anti-drug campaign that al Shabaab launched on February 26.[ix]

Somali president Hassan Sheikh Mohamud visited Ugandan president Yoweri Museveni in Kampala, Uganda, on March 20.[x] The presidents attended the graduation for newly trained Somali soldiers in Kampala and discussed the Somali government’s impending counterterrorism offensive in southern Somalia.[xi]