Gulf of Aden Security Review
The Critical Threats Project Gulf of Aden Security Review provides daily updates on the security situation in Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
Yemen: U.S. Central Command seeks $1.2 billion funding boost for Yemeni forces over five years; weapons, ammunition seized in Amran governorate; Khawlan tribesmen release brother of Supreme Judicial Council's head; AQAP leader in Ma’rib governorate renounces agreement with government; Yemeni foreign minister reiterates denial of foreign forces in Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Reprieve in violence in Mogadishu after ten consecutive days of fighting; al Shabaab official predicts air raids on Mogadishu; senior Somaliland security official killed in Las Anod; Radio Daljir journalist stabbed to death in Puntland; Minnesota Somalis meet with FBI, denounce al Shabaab; Uganda deploys additional 750 peacekeepers to Somalia; Somali officials and pirates reach agreement in fight against al Shabaab, pirates work with both sides; EU announces additional €47 million in aid to support peacekeeping efforts in Somalia.
Yemen: Yemeni government and al Houthi rebels agree to timetable extension for implementing 2007 Qatari-brokered peace deal; three Yemeni troops kidnapped, security checkpoint attacked in Amran governorate; assassination attempt made against military commander in southern Yemen; Khawlan tribesmen kidnap Supreme Judicial Council head’s brother in Sana’a.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al Islam leader calls on AMISOM forces to leave Somalia, tells Somali president to step down; heavy fighting enters ninth consecutive day, killing four civilians; roadside bomb kills at least eight civilians, injures 25 others; TFG denies presence of Ethiopian troops in Somalia.
Yemen: Two foreign workers released by tribal kidnappers in Abyan governorate; Yemeni government vows to continue fight against AQAP; al Qaeda denies reports of militant arrests in Lawder; tribal clashes in Abyan leave two people killed and several other wounded; Yemeni Interior Ministry raises security alert.
Horn of Africa: Latest fighting in Mogadishu creates further food shortages; Somali president appeals for urgent international support; Uganda reportedly prepared to send additional troops to Somali with U.S. support.
Yemen: President Saleh says al Qaeda is biggest threat; al Qaeda claims credit for attack in Abyan governorate; oil companies close due to threat of al Qaeda; Yemeni official denies presence of U.S., British forces; security forces clash with protestors in Sana’a; U.S. military aid to provide Hummers, helicopters, to Yemeni security forces.
Horn of Africa: TFG appeals for assistance; mortar strike kills four Ugandans inside Villa Somalia; AMISOM, al Shabaab close strategic street in Mogadishu as government forces lose ground; al Shabaab developing media capability, overtakes Somali radio station, according to TFG; Danish navy helicopter foils pirate attack off Somali coast; Ethiopian government denies reports of Somali intervention; TFG security forces reportedly retake control of military base seized by militants; six civilians killed in Mogadishu as fighting enters second week.
Yemen: Government, al Houthi rebels set timetable for implementation of truce; former bin Laden bodyguard says al Qaeda escalating efforts in southern Yemen; security forces arrest suspected AQAP member carrying explosives in Abyan province; explosion in Ma’rib kills two; southern leaders call for investigation into government actions in Lawder; U.S. delegation in Sana’a to discuss relations.
Horn of Africa: Fighting continues in Mogadishu for fourth day, death toll at least 115 since Monday; Somali Information Ministry warns of imminent al Shabaab Ramadan offensive; UN appoints special piracy adviser.
Yemen: Yemen says fight against AQAP is responsibility of own forces, not U.S.; suspected al Qaeda militants attack patrol in Abyan, kill three policemen; security official says AQAP’s Adel Saleh Hardaba killed in Lawder battle; Southern Movement calls on Gulf states to withdraw from Gulf Cup; northern-based IDPs suffer from aid delays.
Horn of Africa: Hotel bomber identified as former bodyguard of Abu Mansur; Somali president visits Muna Hotel, expresses resolve against al Shabaab; TFG says al Shabaab’s offensive contained; al Shabaab claims control of key road in Mogadishu; AFRICOM prepared to provide additional training and support to TFG; ONLF denounces former leader, says group is committed to signing deal with Ethiopia in October; UN considering piracy court; Ban Ki-moon says more could be done to combat piracy.
Yemen: U.S. security officials now consider AQAP top threat; AQAP militants flee Lawder following security crackdown; Doha talks commence between al Houthis, Yemeni government; Amnesty International criticizes Yemen for using counter-terrorism as excuse for human rights violations; security officials discover bomb with fuses in Sa’wan district.
Horn of Africa: Fighting between Islamists, pro-government forces continues in Mogadishu for third consecutive day; death toll from al Shabaab hotel attack rises to 33; Somaliland police arrest three terror suspects, seize explosives; veteran Somali journalist killed in Mogadishu fighting.
Yemen: Clashes between al Houthi rebels, pro-government tribesmen kill seven people; government forces regaining control of Lawder following intense fighting with al Qaeda militants, says security official.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab militants storm Mogadishu hotel, at least 31 dead; heavy fighting in Mogadishu kills at least 20 as al Shabaab spokesman declares war; hundreds of Ugandan troops arrive in Somalia to reinforce AMISOM; al Shabaab seizes radio station in Mogadishu.
Yemen: Seven suspected al Qaeda militants killed in latest clash between militants, security forces; AQAP releases posthumous document from Muhammad Umeir al Awlaki; al Houthi rebels attack pro-government clansmen, kill two; al Qaeda member surrenders to authorities; Abyan official survives assassination attempt; gunmen throw grenade at Interior Ministry official’s home in Shabwah, no casualties reported; seven people die in clan fighting in northern provinces; Eritrean pirates seize two Yemeni fishing boats, release one with crews.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab seizes and burns food aid; eleven militants died in premature bomb explosions, foreign fighters included; AMISOM spokesman says his group ready for militant attacks; Hizb al Islam claims group will capture Dolow in Gedo region; Hawiye elders spokesman calls for end to violence in Puntland, Mogadishu; Puntland refutes militant claim that government is engaged in clan warfare; Somali ambassador thanks Uganda for support of peacekeeping mission; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a conducts security operation, arrests two men suspected of murdering IDP; UN says Somali humanitarian crisis eases in past six months; Dutch send ship to aid anti-piracy mission of coast of Somalia.
Yemen: Al Qaeda militants ambush Yemeni security forces in Abyan governorate, kill two soldiers; landmine injures Dhaleh intelligence director.
Horn of Africa: Fighting between Hizb al Islam militants, TFG forces kill at least seven in Mogadishu; TFG soldiers clash with al Shabaab militants in Mogadishu; Hizb al Islam official in Harardhere says no tensions between his group and al Shabaab; rebel group in disputed regions splits over aims of senior leadership; clash between Puntland security forces, Islamist rebels kills at least three in Galgala Hills; roadside bomb in Galgala Hills wounds soldier; mortars launched into IDP camp kill three civilians in Mogadishu; French ship intercepts third pirate skiff.
Yemen: Al Qaeda militant Hezam Mujali arrested four years after prison break; militant throws grenade at police station in Abyan province, wounds five policemen; gunmen, soldiers clash in Ma’rib province.
Horn of Africa: AMISOM commander says troop estimate outdated, may need 40,000 to defeat al Shabaab; Ugandan police say Kampala attacks still under investigation; Hizb al Islam imposes curfew in Afgoi; al Shabaab militants, TFG forces fight in Mogadishu’s Hodan district; grenade attack in Mogadishu kills one, wounds two; human rights officials say Kenya illegally extradited bombing suspects to Uganda, FBI unlawfully interrogated them; FS De Grasse intercepts pirate skiff.
Yemen: Bomb kills 4 people, wounds 10 others in Abyan province; Yemeni terror suspect released from Guantanamo Bay; Eritrean pirates hijack three Yemeni fishing boats.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab militants increasing cross-border raids into Kenya; Uganda charges 32 in connection with Kampala bombings; battle between Ethiopian forces, Somalis in Ogaden region of Ethiopia kills 10; Mogadishu mayor criticizes international aid agencies for destroying city’s image; U.S. judge drops piracy charges against 6 Somalis; EU ship thwarts pirate attack in Gulf of Aden.
Yemen: Suspected al Qaeda gunmen assassinate intelligence officer in Zinjibar; ten men arrested in Lahij province; al Houthi rebels reportedly attacked government buildings in Jawf province; government and al Houthi rebels to sign agreement in Doha.
Horn of Africa: Violence in Mogadishu kills at least nine people and injures over fifty others; fighting breaks out between Ethiopian troops and Somali youths in Somali region of Ethiopia; Guriel district commissioner targeted by explosion; food prices rise during Ramadan due to violence.
Yemen: U.S. to include attack helicopters in massive Saudi arms sale; U.S. military officials claim May airstrike on al Qaeda target in Ma’rib; AQAP leader in Jawf province turns self in; Interior Ministry issues directive urging vigilance against sabotage in six provinces; Eritrean pirates seize Yemeni fishing boats, release crews.
Horn of Africa: South Africa set to join AMISOM; Friday clashes between Puntland security forces, militants in Galgala Hills kill seven; Puntland arrests, sentences journalist for broadcasting interview with rebel leader Atom; message from Somali militant published on jihadist forum justifying Kampala attacks; Somaliland Interior Minister calls for security cooperation from Puntland; TFG soldiers fire on civilian vehicle at checkpoint, kill two; AMISOM prepared for Islamist attacks says spokesman; clerics group calls for halt to fighting during Ramadan; Somali PM campaigning for support of government; UN official says Somalia severely short of needed humanitarian aid; Shabelle Media Network resumes syndication of BBC Somali broadcasts.
Yemen: Interior Ministry releases list of eight most wanted al Qaeda terrorists; Saleh meets with UK PM Cameron in London over regional security.
Horn of Africa: Four Ugandan bombing suspects confess before reporters, reveal Kampala plot; fighting continues between Puntland security forces and Islamist militants in Galgala Hills; UN envoy to Somalia says Kampala attacks highlight implications of Somalia instability; Botswana FM says country lacks resources to contribute troops to AMISOM; Somali journalist organization condemns Puntland ban on VOA correspondent; Somaliland cabinet sworn in, president appoints regional and municipal governors; France sends destroyer to patrol with EU NAVFOR against Somali pirates.
Yemen: Al Qaeda militants ambush Abyan official, wound him in attack; U.S. embassy issues warning of potential al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula attacks during Ramadan.
Horn of Africa: Puntland security forces claim militants driven from Galgala Hills; Ethiopian PM would send troops to Somalia if AMISOM fails; all sides preparing for increased fighting during Ramadan; AMISOM troops launch mortars at IDP camp, kill 5; lawmakers, military officials say TFG mismanaging tax revenue; Puntland police commissioner in Mudug region resigns over poor administration; Christian aid groups reject al Shabaab claims of proselytizing Muslim.
Yemen: AQAP deputy leader urges Saudi soldiers to overthrow government, attack Israel; sources say Yemeni intelligence recruiting females.
Horn of Africa: UN to boost civilian staff in Somalia, may send people to Puntland, Somaliland; al Shabaab militants seize compounds of Christian aid organizations; Somali president calls for peace during Ramadan, al Shabaab says it will continue waging jihad; Puntland bans VOA correspondent from reporting in the region; shelling of Bakara Market kills five people.
Yemen: Two senior commanders relieved from duty in Shabwah following al Qaeda attack; Iranian Navy escorted seven ships to Bab al Mandab, calls for withdrawal of foreign presence.
Horn of Africa: Mortar fire near KM-13 village kills five people and wounds fifteen others; Joint Security Meeting establishes framework for stability; al Shabaab in Middle Shabelle region closes mosque.
Yemen: Al Qaeda claims responsibility for two July attacks in Shabwah province; security forces arrest four suspected al Qaeda members following attack in Abyan province; man arrested in connection with suicide bomb that wounded nine policemen; Yemen wants to end automatic asylum for Somalis amid security, financial concerns; soldiers clash with tribesmen in Ma’rib; dialogue committee meets for first time Saturday.
Horn of Africa: Puntland security forces kill 15 militants in major battle, claim to have recaptured Galgala Hills from Islamist rebels; UN relocating Somalia missions back to country; U.K. blocks sanctions on pirates, fears endangering hostages; Somali president says only solution for country is increased foreign presence; Iranian FM says country ready to help Somalia solve its crisis; Puntland arrests seven pirates in raid; al Shabaab bans three Christian aid agencies; Hizb al Islam leader calls for help to needy during Ramadan; U.S. helicopter thwarts pirate attack on merchant ship; Somali pirates abandon MV SYRIA STAR, crew in Gulf of Aden.
Yemen: Unidentified gunmen kill three security officers in Zinjibar; Yemeni security patrol attacks tribal checkpoint, kills one; U.S. report cites Yemen as a top terror threat.
Horn of Africa: Somali PM defends self, cabinet before Parliament; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a declares it is prepared to fight militants during Ramadan; Puntland security forces capture seven pirates, weapons and equipment in raid; Puntland hangs three men convicted of murder; Mogadishu residents protest Wednesday bombing in Bondere district; ONLF faction signs peace agreement with Ethiopia; Somali pirates hijack Syrian cargo ship; Somaliland president resigns chairmanship of Kulmiye Party.
Yemen: Yemeni government, al Houthi rebels trade accusations over failing ceasefire; U.S. Treasury Department authorizes ACLU to sue on Awlaki’s behalf; security officials in Dhaleh say suicide bomber was separatist, not al Qaeda.
Horn of Africa: American arrested attempting to aid al Shabaab; U.S. Department of Justice unseals 14 indictments of Americans supporting al Shabaab; TFG forces attack al Shabaab base near Ethiopian border, 21 dead; Aweis denounces increased AMISOM troop deployment, Ugandan commander says ADF complicit with al Shabaab; internal report cites lack of trust between AMISOM, TFG; expelled Puntland MPs declare allegiance to SSC rebels; 2 dead, 15 wounded in Bakara Market shelling; dispute in Somali Parliament over PM Sharmarke’s no-confidence vote; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a imposes modesty restrictions on weddings.
Yemen: Qatar directly contacting al Houthi leader, group denies country influenced decision to release Yemeni soldiers; Yemen to train 500 high school graduates for security of Gulf Cup soccer tournament; gunmen fire on Abyan province official’s car, kill two; former defense minister maintains independence, says will not represent JMP in national dialogue panel; security authorities arrest 140 Ethiopians illegally entering country.
Horn of Africa: AMISOM sources say Islamist unity talks breaking down, claim 200 kills since Kampala bombing; Uganda commander says 26 Ugandans dead in Somalia fighting in past year, supports troop increase; remote detonated explosive kills three civilians in Mogaidshu; shelling in Bakara Market kills five, wounds 20; Puntland president praises security forces, says deportations the result of al Shabaab; South African official says troops ready if president orders them to Somalia; Botswana will not send troops to Somalia; Ethiopia signs peace agreement with Somali rebel group; Spanish warship thwarts hijacking of Norwegian tanker; Somali minister urges pirates to release Chandlers, asks governments not to pay ransoms.
Yemen: Suspected al Qaeda suicide attack wounds eight in Dhaleh, second bomb wounds three; judicial source says prosecutor investigating 17 al Qaeda suspects in Hadramawt province; IMF approves $370 million loan to ease currency drop, other economic challenges; security authorities arrest 279 Ethiopians illegally entering country.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al Islam official denounces Shabelle Media as ‘not impartial’; TFG conducts security operation in Mogadishu following Dharkenley blast, arrests five; TFG minister says government will not tolerate continued attacks against officials; UN human rights bulletin reports battle between al Shabaab and Ras Kamboni in Dhobeley; al Shabaab Baidoa administration urges residents to fight in holy war against African Union; Galmudug asks for more TFG, international support against Islamist militants, offers own troops; Puntland president blasts VOA journalist for interview with Islamist rebel Atom; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a arrests 20 young men in Galgudud security operation; EU pledges 15 million euros for Somali refugee camps in Kenya; Somali pirates, Saudi ship owners agree to $3 million ransom on ship.
Yemen: Saleh accused al Houthi rebels of breaking the ceasefire; al Houthi rebels release 100 more soldiers; al Beidh declares he will continue Southern struggle against Yemeni government; opposition alliance forms panel to reach out to al Houthis for dialogue committee; Interior Ministry replaces heads of security in five governorates; Yemen Supreme Security Council member blames al Houthis for continued violations of ceasefire.
Horn of Africa: Three Kenyans charged in Uganda over Kampala bombings; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a supports increased AMISOM troop deployment; Hizb al Islam, al Shabaab spokesmen deny breakdown of unity talks; 925 German-financed Somali police may have defected en route to Mogadishu; TFG gains control of Yed district in Bakool region; al Shabaab releases English-language video; Somali pirates hijacked Panamanian-flagged cargo ship; Puntland parliament votes to expel three members over support of rebels; explosion in Mogadishu wounds five; al Shabaab changes names of three schools in Jowhar.
Yemen: Amid fighting, government insists ceasefire still in place; AQAP calls for Muslims to join jihad against Yemeni government; exiled Yemeni opposition member assassinated.
Horn of Africa: Islamist commander in Puntland backtracks on al Shabaab links; Hizb al Islam spokesman promises more militant action during Ramadan; human rights group says civilian deaths in Somalia up in 2010; AMISOM spokesman claims high kill count in Mogadishu fighting; British Minister for Africa supports increased AMISOM troop deployment; death toll in Kampala blasts up to 85; UN refugee agency urges Saudi Arabia to stop deporting Somalis.
Yemen: Al Houthi rebels free 200 captured soldiers; Awlaki’s father exploring lawsuit against U.S. government; President Saleh makes proposal for resolving fighting in Amran province; Yemen, Djibouti discuss security cooperation.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab spokesman warns African countries against sending troops to Somalia; al Shabaab denies link to Islamist militants in Puntland; Beledweyne residents flee amidst fear of clashes; AMISOM spokesman says six Mogadishu sites captured in July; Somaliland president names new cabinet; pirates release Maltese-flagged ship and crew.
Yemen: Government alleges that ceasefire breaches continue; Zawahiri condemns Yemeni clerics for not declaring jihad; three blasts rock Dhaleh; tribesmen blockade security office in Lahij province; President Saleh meets with UK development chief.
Horn of Africa: AU lifts AMISOM’s cap on troop numbers; U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Johnnie Carson calls Kampala bombings a “wake-up call” for the international community; al Shabaab announced second media foundation; Hizb al Islam, al Shabaab attack government positions in Mogadishu resulting in the death of 26 people; al Shabaab-linked Islamist leader vows jihad on Puntland; Silyano sworn in as Somaliland’s president; Ugandan security forces arrest 22 additional suspects; EU to contribute 35 million euros to humanitarian aid projects in Somalia.
Yemen: Fighting intensifies between al Houthi rebels and government; al Houthi rebels capture 200 soldiers; suspected al Qaeda militants attack British Embassy; Southern Movement separatists kill four people and injure 13 others in two separate attacks.
Horn of Africa: UN envoy to Somalia says current AMISOM mandate sufficient; intelligence report details foreign fighters in al Shabaab; Hizb al Islam leader Aweis calls all Somalis to jihad against AMISOM, says talks with al Shabaab continue; the Seychelles convicts 11 Somalis on piracy charges.
Yemen: State forces kill three AQAP militants, including top commander, after attacks in Shabwah province; al Houthi rebels seize army position, capture 70 troops; fighting between al Houthis and pro-government tribes continues despite brief truce; Saleh calls for end to tribal clashes; government boosts security in wake of al Qaeda attacks; U.S. ambassador to Yemen praises counterterrorism at departure meeting; French President Sarkozy renews support for Yemen’s security.
Horn of Africa: AU leaders seek to give AMISOM offensive mandate; Guinea to send 850-man battalion to Somalia; Ugandan president calls for aggressive AU action against al Shabaab; Kenyan foreign minister wants AMISOM peacekeeping mission upgraded to “peace-making”; al Shabaab official tells AU to stay out of Somalia, threatens more Uganda bombings; Monday fighting between AMISOM soldiers, al Shabaab militants kills 19 in Mogadishu; weekend clashes between al Shabaab, government forces kills 8 in Mogadishu; Puntland security forces fight al Shabaab militants in Galgala Hills, president says no to AMISOM troops in Puntland; Puntland governor says security crackdown will continue despite criticism; Kenya, Djibouti sending delegations to Somaliland presidential inauguration.
Yemen: AQAP claims responsibility for Abyan province attack; two Americans with Awlaki connections charged with terror offenses; 66 MPs suspend parliamentary membership over al Houthi attacks; Yemeni presidential advisor says Awlaki radicalized while in U.S.; Yemeni foreign minister emphasizes security as key to development.
Horn of Africa: Three presidential guards defect to al Shabaab as it nears Villa Somalia, Uganda releases 20 suspects; al Shabaab attacks AMISOM base in northern Mogadishu, kills two Ugandan soldiers; AU official says Djibouti, Guinea will send forces to Somalia, total AMISOM deployment could top 10,000 soldiers; Uganda commander says four more African countries may send troops to Somalia; sources say thousands displaced from Somaliland clashes with rebels; Kenyan security forces suggest al Shabaab using snipers at border; Somali Information Ministry defends record on journalists, says al Shabaab sacrificing innocent journalists for propaganda; Hawiye clan, UN denounce Puntland refugee deportations.
Yemen: 20 killed in overnight clashes in northern Yemen; AQAP blamed in death of five soldiers in Shabwah province; 163 Southern Movement separatists released so far under amnesty plan; foreign minister denies arms deal with Russia
Horn of Africa: American arrested for trying to fight with al Shabaab in Somalia; Puntland president says military fighting al Shabaab-linked militants in Galgala Hills; landmine blast kills soldier, wounds seven in Mogadishu; UN official says Somalia humanitarian efforts “seriously underfunded;” Somali president meets with Arab officials in Cairo, asks for aid against extremists; Amnesty International calls on TFG, Islamist militants to end abuses against journalists; Ethiopia releases four members of Ogaden National Liberation Front
Yemen: 49 dead in north Yemen clashes; al Houthi rebels kill tribal chief; Awlaki added to UN sanctions list; officials meet to discuss opening anti-piracy center in Sana’a; Yemen, Singapore hold talks on counterterrorism
Horn of Africa: Clashes in Mogadishu have killed at least 53 people in past week;AU internal report says troops use indiscriminate shelling; al Shabaab militants ambush Kenyan convoy on border; Uganda investigators say bombs smuggled into country in June, police have 43 suspects in custody; U.S. congressman urges designation of Eritrea as state sponsor of terrorism; Eritrea seeks lifting of UN sanctions; AFRICOM commander says U.S. ready to increase support to AMISOM; AU official says more resources needed to strengthen AMISOM; al Shabaab launches new FM radio station in Galgudud region; Puntland starts security crackdown, deports over 500 southern Somalis in Boasaaso; Burundi charges journalist with treason; Somali pirates release hijacked two ships; Tanzania, Rwanda increase security following Kampala bombings
Yemen: Awlaki warns Yemen could be next Iraq, Afghanistan; 26 killed in northern Yemen clashes; five people injured in separatist clashes in Dhaleh; Sana’a explosion kills two people, injures four others; Yemeni official meets Indian military attaché.
Horn of Africa: Ugandan authorities now holding 20 Somalis, bringing total suspects to over 40 in bombings investigation; Uganda PM urges troop support from other AU states at summit; Burundi defense spokesman assures no withdrawal from Somalia; Somaliland soldiers clash with militia in Buhoodle, five people killed; Puntland cabinet authorizes new electoral commission to work towards multi-party elections; UN aid worker detained, not kidnapped.
Yemen: U.S. labels Awlaki “key leader” of AQAP, Yemen says hunt for terror leader continues; American citizen in Yemen believed to be ghostwriter behind al Qaeda magazine; state forces preparing for war, Houthi rebels claim; Houthis back official dialogue between opposition groups and government, 400 Houthi-linked detainees and 27 Southern Movement activists to be released from prison; senior district judge killed in Lahij.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab launches Mogadishu offensive, 14 civilians killed; militants attack TFG positions Saturday, killing 3 people; Uganda police release images of reconstructed faces of suicide bombers; Kenya FM says country had credible intelligence pointing to Kampala attacks; British intelligence officers visit Somaliland; gunmen kidnap UN aid worker; Ethiopian troops withdraw from Hiraan, Bakool regions; Puntland president names general top defense adviser; Puntland Cabinet of Ministers approves new counterterrorism law; gunmen kill judge in Sool region; TFG operation in Mogadishu seizes illegal weapons, drugs; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a bans broadcasts favorable to al Shabaab in central town.
Yemen: Al Houthi rebels blamed for 11 deaths in government convoy ambush, deny accusations; President Obama praises Saleh for anti-terror fight in phone call; government detains 19 suspected al Qaeda militants
Horn of Africa: Obama Administration pledges increased aid to AMISOM; Kenyan security officials arrest al Shabaab suspect trying to cross border; Ugandan security officials arrest 5 more suspects; FBI obtains suspects’ heads from Kampala mortuary; Kenyan police arrest 102 illegal Somali immigrants in crack down; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a imposes curfew in Dhusa Mareb; clan elders in Sanaag region endorse Puntland attacks on Islamist rebels
Yemen: Government orders coastguard, navy to crack down on terrorism and piracy threats; Parliament recommends formation of committee to release unlawfully held detainees.
Horn of Africa: Uganda president declares offensive role for Ugandan AMISOM troops; Uganda army spokesman says country can deploy 2,000 more troops; Kenyan security officials arrest Ugandan al Shabaab suspect in Nairobi; Somali MPs send letter to PM demanding appearance in parliament for no-confidence vote; global piracy attacks down 18 percent in first half of 2010.
Yemen: Four killed in suspected al Qaeda attack on police and intelligence headquarters in Zinjibar; President Saleh dismisses talk of “seventh war” in north; Qatar agrees to continue mediation efforts between the government and al Houthi rebels; U.S. transfers Guantanamo prisoner to Yemen, second kept in detention on al Qaeda suspicions.
Horn of Africa: Uganda minister confirms suicide bomb attack in Ethiopian restaurant; Uganda opposition: more AU members must send troops to Somalia; TFG appoints new Mogadishu mayor; AMISOM troops clash with al Shabaab in Mogadishu; al Shabaab takes Hiraan region village from Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a; Kenya PM says weapon smuggling increasing.
Yemen: Complete version of AQAP magazine released; Armed gunmen kidnap judge in Ibb province; U.S. military official visits Sana’a.
Horn of Africa: Arrests made following Kampala bombings, third bomb discovered in discotheque; Burundi will not withdraw troops from Somalia, increases security after al Shabaab threat; AU says AMISOM unaffected by Uganda bombings; Hizb al Islam detains 10 people near Mogadishu.
Yemen: Yemeni journalist abducted and interrogated about al Qaeda; Yemeni court upholds death sentences for four al Qaeda members; AQAP claims responsibility for June attack on Yemeni intelligence headquarters; al Houthis kidnap five oil workers; Yemeni security forces allegedly capture top al Qaeda member; gunmen fire on checkpoint in Mar’ib; Yemen releases 165 al Houthi prisoners of war.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab claims responsibility for Kampala bombings, 74 dead in Uganda; Hizb al Islam, al Shabaab leaders meet for unity talks in Mogadishu mediated by foreign al Qaeda fighters; al Shabaab claims assassination of TFG official in Beledweyne, executes ‘Ethopian spy’ in Baidoa; Kenya deploys additional troops to Somali border; landmine kills three soldiers in Puntland; Ethiopian troops clash with clan militias in Somali region, 20 killed.
Yemen: Coast Guard builds base to deter Somali pirates.
Horn of Africa: TFG seeking to recover funds; Kenya FM says veteran militants relocating to Somalia, stronger U.S. presence needed; al Shabaab calls for attacks on Burundian, Ugandan diplomats around the world; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a spokesman says cabinets posts actually given to warlords; Somali parliament to vote on motion of no-confidence against PM; al Shabaab attacks Burundi base in Mogadishu, one killed; newly-appointed U.N. envoy applauds AMISOM troop increase; Eritrea information minister says more AMISOM troops won’t help Somalia.
Yemen: Four al Qaeda suspects arrested in Dhaleh; third power plant burns in south Yemen; Yemen takes part in regional security workshop.
Horn of Africa: Mogadishu explosions hit Hizb al Islam police station and World Cup soccer fans; Somali President meets with officials in Kenya to discuss UN assistance; demonstrators coerced in protests against additional peacekeepers; Eritrean official says additional troops are not solution to situation in Somalia.
Yemen: Court sentences two al Qaeda suspects to death; ten al Houthi rebels killed in clashes with pro-government tribesmen; jihadist urges AQAP to drag U.S. into Yemen in open letter; two die in Southern Movement’s “day of rage” protests; security officer escapes assassination attempt in Abyan province.
Horn of Africa: Reports of TFG mobilizing for Hiraan offensive, Ethiopian support of operations; al Shabaab denounces additional AMISOM troops, will intensify jihad against African Union; TFG officials claim killing of two foreign fighters in Hiraan; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a appeals to international community to mediate cabinet dispute with TFG; Somali PM Sharmarke defends cabinet picks; U.S. Embassy in Kenya issues statement on Somaliland’s elections; Puntland bans qat sales in Garowe.
Yemen: Al Houthi truce frays, two sides prepare for war; two security officers killed in shootout with al Qaeda suspects; al Houthi rebels kill three in attack on home of tribal leader; Southern Movement calls for “day of rage” demonstrations; gunman killed in east Yemen shootout; AQAP suspects arrested over officer’s death; terrorist suspects set fire to power plant.
Horn of Africa: TFG offensive continues in Mogadishu, claims it has secured northern district; East African bloc pledges support, 2,000 more troops for AMISOM; Somali PM reshuffles cabinet, Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a rejects appointments; clash between al Shabaab, Hizb al Islam kills eight in Mogadishu; Puntland governor says landmine targeted him; Somaliland president-elect seeks international recognition.
Yemen: Gunman kills senior intelligence officer in south; authenticity of AQAP magazine questioned; Yemen to sign billion-dollar arms deal with Russia.
Horn of Africa: TFG continues offensive in Mogadishu; opposition candidate Silyano wins Somaliland presidency; failed assassination attempt on Bari region governor kills two in Bossasso; clan fighting in central Somalia kills 14; al Shabaab executes man in Bakool for blasphemy.
Yemen: Six-step agreement aims to end war with al Houthi rebels; AQAP launches English-language online magazine.
Horn of Africa: TFG launches counterattack against al Shabaab in Mogadishu; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a leader says agreement with TFG has collapsed; ruling party in Somaliland says irregularities in polling, asks for delay in results; Somaliland president says will he step down if party loses; Hizb al Islam bans commemorations of Somali independence.
Yemen: Al Houthi rebels criticize U.S.; detained Somali pirates sentenced to 12 years in prison; Saleh leaves Tripoli summit with agreement on furthering Arab States Union; officials meet with South Korea to discuss security cooperation.
Horn of Africa: Fighting between al Shabaab, Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a kills 12 in Mogadishu; Kenyan police kill unarmed Somali refugee in Nairobi; unidentified armed group kills man in Bakara Market; Somaliland election commission warns against premature announcements of results.
Yemen: Explosive device found near homes of Taiz governor and police director; President Saleh flies to Russia for security talks; President Saleh holds talks with Egyptian FM and intelligence head.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab releases English-language video featuring deceased commander, calls on AMISOM troops to withdraw from Somalia; al Shabaab claims victory in Monday Mogadishu fighting, several TFG bases captured; U.S. federal court indicts retired colonel in conspiracy to smuggle weapons to Somalia; Somaliland election commission chairman says votes 90 percent counted; Somali president promotes 22 military officers; clan fighting kills 5 in Puntland.
Yemen: 30 al Qaeda suspects arrested in Yemen; government signs new agreement with al Houthi rebels; death of imprisoned Aden suspect triggers new clashes with authorities; U.S. to repatriate Guantanamo detainee to Yemen on judge’s orders; experts defuse Sana’a road explosive belt; France applauds Yemen counterterrorism efforts and pledges support; President Saleh attends Arab summit in Libya.
Horn of Africa: International observers certify Somaliland’s elections as free and fair; election observer killed in Sool region; Puntland militia raids village in Sool region, kills four; Somali PM to submit new cabinet to president; TFG soldiers, police clash in Mogadishu; Islamist militants fire mortars at Somali parliament and kill two people; U.S. court indicts Israeli man for violating Somali arms embargo; pirates hijack Singaporean-flagged ship carrying poisonous chemicals; Somali pirates say half of Chandler ransom received; Somali MPs meet with U.S. senators in Washington; al Shabaab bans consumption of certain vegetables in Hiraan region; Somali president congratulates Somaliland on successful elections .
Yemen: Southern Movement separatist killed in Aden clashes with security forces; suspected AQAP militants arrested in Aden security sweep; White House issues statement on humanitarian assistance and situation in Yemen; alleged al Qaeda CD distributed at Sana’a mosques
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a spokesman says group, TFG ready to retake southern Somali regions from militants; Hizb al Islam commander claims victory in Thursday’s Mogadishu fighting; al Shabaab spokesman calls for Hizb al Islam leaders to join al Shabaab; Somaliland president and opposition leader trade accusations over defected ministers; Kenya launches new anti-piracy court
Yemen: German and Iraqi man held in connection with assassination attempt on UK ambassador; AQAP shari’a official urges scholars to support jihad; three soldiers, one civilian killed in Dhaleh clashes; recent unrest leads to reported rift in Southern Movement; seven killed in tribal clashes over Ma’rib oil field.
Horn of Africa: Somali president rejects PM’s proposed cabinet, standoff continues; fighting between pro-government forces and Hizb al Islam kills eight in Mogadishu; al Shabaab leader demands Somaliland people abstain from voting; unidentified gunmen launch grenade attack on Puntland policemen, kill one; Gedo town elders warn TFG against instigating conflict; two Somaliland ministers resign, cite ineffective president; Somaliland expels two Al Jazeera reporters.
Yemen: Southern Movement separatists kill three soldiers in Dhaleh clashes; study finds that majority of al Qaeda member in Yemen are natives; UK allocates $150m in aid for Yemen, cites development as best way to defeat terrorism.
Horn of Africa: Somali government calls on militants to join peace talks; TFG announces it will retake Hiraan region from al Shabaab; Ugandan security forces say exit depends on stability in Somalia; EU naval commander says new anti-piracy tactics have been successful; Netherlands agrees to deploy submarine for anti-piracy operations; Somaliland election campaign concludes, one million voters registered; Puntland’s vice president flies to Ethiopia for security talks.
Yemen: Al Houthi leader threatens new war against government; army officer and 3 soldiers killed in clashes with tribesmen; blast kills 3 in makeshift explosives factory; security forces arrest editor-in-chief of Aden newspaper.
Horn of Africa: Rival militant groups clash in Mogadishu, 10 killed; Hizb al Islam leader Aweys seeking political asylum outside Somalia; Swedish police nab man suspected of plotting attack in Somalia; Ethiopia election board certifies landslide victory for ruling party; Puntland police conduct security operation in Garowe; magazine names Somalia ‘most failed state’ for third consecutive year.
Yemen: Yemen arrests mastermind of jailbreak in Aden that killed at least 11people and freed AQAP militants; al Qaeda suspect in Zinjibar explosion, no casualties reported; leader of Bakil tribe calls for tribal coalition against AQAP; southern separatists attack military convoy, five people killed; government and Southern Movement reach agreement to end siege in Dhaleh; U.S. considers ending suspension of Guantanamo Bay detainees’ transfer to Yemen; security forces thwart attack on Ma’rib oil pipeline; Saudi Arabia announces $1.6 billion project to house displaced Yemenis; EU NAVFOR trains Yemeni coastguards.
Horn of Africa: TFG soldiers briefly besiege Villa Somalia over unpaid wages; Mogadishu clashes kill three people, injure ten; TFG Mogadishu official announces planned al Shabaab attacks; Aweys confirms defection of Hizb al Islam officials to al Shabaab in Beledweyne, says group withdrew to avoid conflict; Somali minister says TFG negotiating with Hizb al Islam; al Shabaab surrounds Afgoi, Hizb al Islam reinforces town; Hizb al Islam decrees men must grow beards in Mogadishu; al Shabaab Galgudud official says group will drive Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a from Galgudud region; al Shabaab spokesman says group will fight until Somalia has true Islamic government; al Shabaab will inspect all food and medicine sold in Beledweyne; Puntland minister warns Somaliland about holding elections in Sool and Sanaag; GBC Radio resumes broadcasting in Mogadishu; Dutch naval vessel intercepts skiff, arrests pirates; residents of Adado in Galgudug region protest holding of British hostages near town.
Yemen: AQAP asks for help from Ma’rib tribes, promises retaliation for airstrike; International Red Cross says Yemen removed most landmines from 1980s.
Horn of Africa: Mogadishu fighting kills 20 after rebels attack TFG positions; U.S. Sen. Feingold demands end to Somali aid over TFG enlistment of child soldiers; Ethiopia agrees to ceasefire with ONLF rebels; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a leader accuses TFG of failing to uphold deal; Himan and Heeb administration executes man in Galgudud.
Yemen: Top AQAP leaders said to be involved in pipeline attack; weapons dealer and suspected al Houthi supporter released by authorities; report claims marked decline in political, personal freedom.
Horn of Africa: Aweys denies Hizb al Islam merger with al Shabaab; Somali president calls for investigation into TFG recruiting child soldiers; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a appoints new commanders; Puntland security officials arrest 15-year-old carrying explosives; Galgudud administration warns against Islamist takeover; human rights group claims Kenyan police abusing refugees; Kenya FM calls for TFG unity; Dutch court convicts five Somalis of piracy; Shabelle Radio resumes broadcasting in Mogadishu.
Yemen: Gunman kills soldier in Sa’ada; “peace convoy” heads to Dhaleh to protest violence; riot in Hodeida province’s central prison wounds at least thirteen.
Horn of Africa: TFG condemns Islamist restrictions on watching World Cup; 200 newly trained troops arrive in Mogadishu; Somaliland forces targeting new militant group; Ethiopian Supreme Court to hear election challenge.
Yemen: Eight wounded in clashes with police in Dhaleh; AQAP leaders reportedly seen in Ma’rib province; court tries two al Qaeda suspects for killing military and security officials; authorities meet with foreign officials in bid to counter al Qaeda threat.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al Islam militants in Beledweyne join al Shabaab; two Comoros nationals arrested in Kenya on suspected al Shabaab ties; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a bans firearms, imposes curfew in Guriel; $9.3 million pledged to help Kenya and the Seychelles prosecute pirates.
Yemen: Al Qaeda suspects bomb oil pipeline in Ma’rib; tribesmen agree to stop harboring al Qaeda in wake of pipeline bombing; one person killed, 8 others wounded in clashes in Ma’rib province; senior security official killed in southern Yemen, two soldiers killed defusing bomb in Dhaleh; AQAP announces expanded list of officials targeted for assassination; al Haq party leader escapes assassination attempt.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab captures Beledweyne following Hizb al Islam pullout; Somaliland arrests four al Shabaab suspects; conflict between TFG soldiers and policemen kills 13 in Mogadishu; Hizb al Islam kills two, arrests dozens enforcing World Cup soccer ban; militants attack home of Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a chief, wounding three; gunmen kill prosecutor in Puntland; human rights officials claim TFG uses child soldiers; Somali pirates free U.K.-flagged ship after ransom paid; Somali minister says piracy, international fleet has curbed illegal fishing off Somali coast.
Yemen: AQAP releases video on obligation of jihad; provincial area cordoned off in continued hunt for al Qaeda suspect; Saleh meets with southern officials; Australian woman suspected of al Qaeda links deported from Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna battles al Shabaab near Dhusa Mareb, four militants killed; Somali PM accepts resignation of ministers, will fill posts soon; Universal TV administrator downplays controversy over Mohammed cartoon, apologizes.
Yemen: Yemeni security forces arrest al Qaeda suspect disguised in women’s clothing; ten wounded in demonstrations after security forces open fire in Dhaleh
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab releases video of French captive; militants attack presidential palace, kill five; Ethiopia sends two planes with arms and ammunition to Ahlu Sunna in Dhusa Mareb; EU NAVFOR likely to continue mission off coast of Somalia through 2011; former minister denies he resigned because of cabinet reshuffle; UN Secretary General Ban appoints new Somali envoy
Yemen: State Department confirms 3 of 12 detained Americans held on terrorism charges; 14 wounded in raid on home of al Qaeda operative.
Horn of Africa: TFG ministers resign, former Defense Minister Indho Adde says government has failed; explosion kills seven TFG security officers in Mogadishu; al Shabaab issues fatwa against UK-based Somali station; al Shabaab militants surround five Mogadishu radio stations, prevent relocation; Mareeg: Shabaab deputy leader wounded in Mogadishu fighting; TFG MP accuses AMISOM of civilian massacre; Ahlu Sunna blames TFG for failing power-sharing agreement.
Yemen: U.S. State Department reports 12 U.S. citizens held in Yemen; Yemeni FM al Qirbi insists no U.S. bases allowed on territory; al Beidh appeals to international community for south Yemen protection; state authorities drop cases against 33 journalists; Amnesty International alleges U.S. missile use in December 17 strike.
Horn of Africa: Somali defense minister Indho Adde resigns; Kenya bolsters security in border region after report of potential Shabaab attack; fighting in Hiraan and Galgudud last week displaced thousands, no local authority in Beledweyne; Kenya asks U.S. VP Biden for U.S. support in Somalia.
Yemen: Yemen continues language school sting, arrests 50 foreigners; two al Qaeda operatives surrender to authorities in Ma’rib province; government forces, separatists clash in Dhaleh; al Qaeda ambush kills Yemen military official; al Houthis, tribesmen clash in Harf Sufyan; Abdul Malik al Houthi calls for Saleh to follow through on amnesty promise; Yemen deports 320 Ethiopians.
Horn of Africa: U.S. arrests two Americans leaving country to fight for al Shabaab; U.S. officials: hundreds of foreign militants in Somalia; explosion targets lawmakers in Mogadishu; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a denies cutting communications in Dhusa Mareb; Kenya ready for Shabaab attacks; Tanzania calls for more African troops in Somalia; Hizb al Islam official warns group of foreign air raids; AMISOM says two Ugandan’s killed in Mogadishu fighting; al Shabaab flogs boys for drugs, pornography.
Yemen: British nationals arrested in Yemen for alleged terror ties; U.S. court indicts Texas man on al Qaeda links; Houthis, rival Shi’ites clash, kill 4; US to deport 29 Yemenis from Guantanamo; nine Ethiopians captured in Ma’rib; security forces seize 12,000 weapons in May.
Horn of Africa: TFG and allied forces continue offensive operation in Mogadishu, 28 civilians dead; TFG general states that this is not the major counter-offensive expected by observers.
Yemen: AQAP deputy leader calls for kidnapping of Christians, Saudi princes, and high-ranking officials, demands release of prisoner; southern secessionists give ultimatum for northern workers to leave Yafea district in Lahij province; government reports Somali piracy costing Yemen 350 million dollars annually.
Horn of Africa: TFG launches counter-offensive against Islamists in Mogadishu; Somali man on no-fly list for suspected terror ties detained in U.S.; al Shabaab releases video of parliament attack; Puntland troops free hijacked cargo ship after brief shootout with pirates; crew of hijacked Libyan ship overpowers pirate captors; Somaliland officials arrest three journalists.
Yemen: Police arrest Australian woman suspected of Islamist ties; U.S. navy announces rescue of Yemeni ship, crew from pirates; al Houthi rebels, pro-government tribesmen clash.
Horn of Africa: Fighting between al Shabaab and Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a in northern Galgudud kills 24; Somali pirates hijack Panama-flagged cargo ship; Hizb al Islam denies Beledweyne pullout, government secures strategic positions in town; al Shabaab flogs man for extramarital sex in Baidoa.
Yemen: Police arrest suspected al Qaeda member in al Bayda province; foreign minister says Yemen may alter counterterrorism tactics after botched airstrike; PM: Yemen not al Qaeda safe haven, U.S. attack on al Awlaki unacceptable; southern separatists attack two convoys, kill three soldiers; opposition party appeals for international help to end “siege” on southern provinces; al Houthi rebels, tribesmen clash, kill three; official says Yemen hunting for 60 suspected kidnappers; Yemeni navy captures Somali pirates with stolen fishing boat; Meshaal meets with Saleh.
Horn of Africa: Government forces backed by Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a recapture Beledweyne; Shabaab militants, Ethiopian army clash in Elberde; mortars kill two, wound ten others in Mogadishu; Kenyan security officials investigating al Shabaab raid; radio station moves from Bakara Market; al Shabaab cuts ties with UK-based Somali TV station; Seychelles coast guard, Australian navy capture pirate ships in Gulf of Aden; Somali president asks new parliament speaker to call confidence vote on PM; Hizb al Islam permits NGOs to resume operations in Hiraan region.
Yemen: Al Qaeda video names new AQAP commander, confirms death of three militants; northern tribesmen bomb second pipeline, truce off.
Horn of Africa: Standoff between Somali president, PM continues; TFG defense minister survives assassination attempt; mortars kill three in Mogadishu; Somali parliament elects new speaker; Hizb al Islam leader Aweys calls for Islamist unity against TFG; hostage British couple appeals to new PM for ransom; UN agency: 17,000 displaced in Mogadishu in May.
Yemen: Northern tribesmen demands answers by Friday or truce off; southern separatists attack military vehicle, kill one; southern tribesmen blockade highway.
Horn of Africa: U.S. DHS warns Texas of Shabaab operative in Mexico; Somali president again says will appoint new PM; Shabaab militants raid Kenya town; AMISOM vows it will defend against al Shabaab.
Yemen: AQAP released video on American intervention in Yemen; Ma’rib tribesmen agree to truce after botched airstrike kills deputy governor; American couple freed; two men sentenced to death for spying for Iran; European arrested entering Yemen illegally.
Horn of Africa: TFG rejects al Shabaab claims of Villa Somalia mortar attacks; German prosecutor investigating legality of reported mercenary contract; piracy trial underway in Netherlands; Hizb al Islam arrests journalists in Afgoi; land mine kills woman in Mogadishu; TFG finance minister resigns to run for parliament speaker.
Yemen: Botched airstrike targeting al Qaeda hideout kills councilman, tribesmen retaliate; government releases 300 rebels following amnesty pledge; clash between pro-government tribe, southern rebels kills two in Abyan province; southern leaders dismiss Saleh amnesty pledge from exile.
Horn of Africa: Leaked U.S. military directive says increased convert acts authorized in Somalia and Yemen; al Shabaab targets presidential palace in Mogadishu; pro-government forces converge on Mogadishu, police spokesman says TFG ready for offensive; Hizb al Islam gives foreign aid groups 24 hours to close in Hiraan; American destroyer intercepts hijacked ship off Somali coast; Somali pirates take Yemeni fishing boat.
Yemen: AQAP releases al Awlaki interview video; U.S. officials: Qahtani blew himself up; Saleh offers amnesty to all rebels, journalists; tribesmen kidnap American couple outside Sana’a; authorities arrest suspected bomb maker.
Horn of Africa: Shabaab militants fire mortars at presidential palace in Mogadishu, 14 killed in fighting; Ugandan AMISOM forces planning counteroffensive in Mogadishu; Ethiopian troops battle residents in Somaliland, 13 dead; Somali warlord contracts German mercenaries to topple TFG; EU training 400 Somalis in Uganda; Hizb al Islam announces new Shari’a government; UN Secretary-General Ban pledges support to TFG.
Yemen: Wife of AQAP deputy leader calls on women to wage jihad in Yemen; Yemen caught hundreds of Ethiopians entering country illegally in April.
Horn of Africa: Roadside bomb kills Ugandan AMISOM soldier in Mogadishu; al Shabaab warns Kenya against interference in Somalia; fighting between Shabaab, TFG kills two in northern Mogadishu; young man’s body found in Mogadishu near Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a base; Germany requests extradition of pirates taken by Dutch marines.
Yemen: Al Dhale security director escapes assassination by southern secessionist; Saleh says military will stop separatists.
Horn of Africa: Somali president reverses decision, keeps PM; Djibouti president warns of Somalia collapse, asks for international assistance to TFG; militants kill two civilians in Mogadishu mortar attacks; al Shabaab shuts down UK aid centers; Puntland raid nets twelve pirates.
Yemen: Two kidnapped Chinese oil workers confirmed freed in Shawba; clash between government and secessionists injures five in Lahij province.
Horn of Africa: British commandos sink two pirate boats after raid; supporters of Somali PM protest throughout Mudug; Sweden arrests man plotting attack in Somalia.
Yemen: AQAP commander confirms leaders’ deaths, promises revenge; Saudis recover two German girls kidnapped in Yemen last June; kidnapped Chinese workers reportedly released; Yemen sentences pirates to death.
Horn of Africa: Somali PM rejects president’s call for new government; UN representative to Somalia backs president’s decision to dissolve government; Puntland forces arrest wanted pirate leader; former warlord claims unpaid TFG soldiers defecting with weapons; pro-government forces retake Elberde from al Shabaab.
Yemen: AQAP warns U.S. against killing Anwar al Awlaki; separatists kill soldier in convoy ambush; government releases 19 separatists after pledging commitment to Yemeni unity; Yemen searching for two kidnapped Chinese oil workers.
Horn of Africa: Militants attack parliament, kill at least 20 in Mogadishu; Somali president says he will appoint new PM, government; Somali speaker of parliament resigns; al Shabaab militants execute man convicted of spying for TFG; gunmen kill driver contracted by UN World Food Program.
Yemen: Attempted assassination on Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister; Justice Minister says no political prisoners in Yemeni jails; analysts say economy poses biggest threat to Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Major Hizb al Islam faction splinters from group to fight al Shabaab; Hizb al Islam infighting kills two in Mudug region; death toll from recent Mogadishu fighting now at 25; TFG parliament to reconvene for first time in months; Somali pirates release British tanker after ransom paid.
Yemen: Landmine in Aden kills one; gunmen occupy schools in Sa’ada; Saudis to maintain troops near Yemen border to deter al Houthis.
Horn of Africa: 10 killed in Mogadishu fighting, former mayor survives bomb attempt; Hizb al Islam announces creation of new provincial authority; Ethiopia appeals for more aid to accommodate Somali refugees; UN food agency will alter distribution system in Somalia; floods, fears of conflict displace thousands in Hiraan; ONLF commander denies death in Ethiopia.
Yemen: AQAP claims responsibility for attack on British ambassador; U.S. places sanctions on AQAP leaders; Yemeni government accuses al Houthi rebels of kidnapping four soldiers; Italy pledges anti-terror support to Yemen; Yemen arrests 560 Ethiopians over last two months.
Horn of Africa: The UN refugee agency increased its 2010 Somali refugee estimate; Switzerland imposed an embargo on Somalia; fighting between TFG and militants in Mogadishu kills five, wounds seven; two militant attacks Tuesday kill three, including policeman in Mogadishu; Puntland security forces arrest two al Shabaab gunmen; Somali pirates seize Greek ship and 23 crewmen; pirates hijack Bulgarian ship Tuesday with crew of 15.
Yemen: Yemen and Jordan discuss anti-terror cooperation; Yemeni soldiers and al Houthi rebels fight for first time since truce; al Houthis ambush government security convoy in Sana’a; Yemeni police officer dies from bomb wounds; tribesmen in Ma’rib attack power station.
Horn of Africa: UN refugee agency calls for more help to Somali refugees; critics demand resignation of UN Somalia envoy; AMISOM denies role in mosque bombing; American-born militant, Abu Mansour al Amriki, releases recruitment video; Christian killed by militants in Harardheere; Somali ambassador backs Russia on international pirate tribunal; pirates release ship after receiving ransom payment; pirates set adrift by Russian presumed dead; Hizb al Islam rejects UN-backed anti-piracy efforts; man flogged in Beledweyne for rape by al Shabaab administration.
Yemen: Explosion in Aden wounds two; British embassy reopens after failed attack on ambassador in Sana’a; FBI director asks Yemeni government to extradite two suspects to US; al Houthis clash with pro-government tribes; Yemeni government allegedly detains two Washington Post correspondents.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab captures town on Ethiopian border; Doctors Without Borders clinic attacked by militants; opposition party in Somaliland denies al Shabaab links; al Shabaab bans cutting down trees; Somali pirates seize chemical tanker; al Shabaab and Hizb al Islam fighters exchange fire in Mogadishu.
Yemen: Times Square bomber Shahzad influenced by Awlaki; Yemeni government downplays US warnings; Yemeni officials probe American al Qaeda shooting in hospital.
Horn of Africa: Power sharing deal between TFG and Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a strained; Russia frees Somali pirates that seized oil tanker; Seychelles to create pirate court; al Shabaab threatens exiled Somali journalists in Kenya; al Shabaab cuts off hand of man accused of stealing.
Yemen: EU seeks to mediate between Yemeni government and opposition; Russian navy accused of attacking Yemeni fishing boats.
Horn of Africa: Russian navy recaptures oil tanker; AU warns of coordinated attacks on civilians in Somalia; victim wounded in Kismayo mosque bombing dies; UN calls for halt of child soldier use in Somalia; Hizb al Islam clash in hospital kills four.
Yemen: Separatists free kidnapped Yemeni soldiers; FBI director discusses counterterrorism with Yemeni president; Reporters Without Borders lists Yemeni president as enemy of press freedom; al Houthis kill two in Jawf.
Horn of Africa: Somali pirates seize tanker with $52 million worth of oil aboard; gunmen kill prominent journalist in Mogadishu; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a pledges to continue fight in Mogadishu; Puntland forces continue search for murder suspects; Hizb al Islam commander killed by gunmen; al Shabaab accuses American security firm of mosque bombings; al Qaeda senior commander in Somalia reportedly killed.
Yemen: Fighting between separatists and Yemeni security forces kills three in Dhaleh; United States grants Yemen additional development aid; UN makes cut to aid program in Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab leader releases video in support of al Qaeda in Iraq; Somali pirates seize Yemeni cargo ship; pirates move captured ships from Harardhere; Hizb al Islam pledges end to piracy in Somalia; rival militants both claim victory in fight over neighborhoods in Mogadishu; TFG and Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a sign another agreement.
Yemen: Two men trained by al Qaeda arrested in Brooklyn for espionage; U.S. embassy in Sana’a tells staff to avoid Western hotel; southern secessionists capture two Yemeni soldiers; one person killed during protest in Dhaleh; Yemeni officials demand surrender of 50 southern “outlaws”; armed drones sent to Yemen to target al Awlaki; Yemen’s Defense Ministry says it killed 35 al Qaeda militants; 45 African refugees arrested after coming ashore in Yemen; grenade blast wounds eight in Sana’a; Yemeni government seizes over 10,000 weapons from civilians in April.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al Islam captures pirate base in Somalia; bomb blasts kill over 30 in Mogadishu mosque; Ethiopian authorities arrest al Shabaab and OLF militants crossing border from Somalia; al Shabaab kills three in Mogadishu; second mosque blast kills one in Kismayo; growing number of British coming to Somalia to support Islamist militants.
Yemen: Local government in Sa’ada accuses al Houthis of additional ceasefire infractions; Yemeni interior minister says suicide attack plotters have been captured; Yemen hopes US will up development aid.
Horn of Africa: French vessel destroys Somali pirate mother ship; 10 killed in al Shabaab push into central Somalia.
Yemen: New video of Abdulmutallab spliced with old footage; aid shortage could cause humanitarian crisis according to the UN; new American ambassador to Yemen to be named; protesters arrested in opposition party rally in Lahij; seven killed in al Houthi clash with pro-government militants
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab claims responsibility for attack on AU compound; 21 dead in continuing violence in Mogadishu; Somali President calls Yemeni President
Yemen: Yemeni government searching for al Qaeda suspects responsible for suicide attack; suicide attacker had been in Yemeni prison; al Houthis kill suspect on Yemen’s most wanted list.
Horn of Africa: African Union denies war crimes allegations; at least 14 civilians killed in fighting between TFG and al Shabaab; Hizb al Islam denies signing agreement with TFG or Kenyan government; UN asks for stronger legal action against Somali pirates; TFG soldiers desert over lack of pay.
Yemen: Video emerges allegedly showing Abdulmutallab training in Yemen; al Houthi rebels clash with pro-government tribes; Yemeni government says suicide attempt on British ambassador was organized by al Qaeda.
Horn of Africa: Suicide car bomb wounds four in Mogadishu; Somali pirates retreat from al Shabaab; al Shabaab official injured in explosion; al Shabaab leaders says group aims to control all of central Somalia; ONLF warns foreign companies and agencies operating in Somalia.
Yemen: Assassination attempt on British ambassador to Yemen fails; Yemeni government accuses opposition party of allying with armed rebels; al Houthi rebels kidnap Yemeni man; AQAP members may pose as Ethiopians to enter Israel; southern separatists sentenced to 10 years in jail; al Houthi rebels want 1,000 prisoners freed; Yemeni tribesmen attack oil export station in Ma’rib.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab fights on two fronts against government and pirates; al Shabaab seizes three towns from Ahlu Sunna; UN funding approved to fight Somali pirates, Somali pirate suspects charged in the U.S.; Spain captures eight suspected pirates; Ahlu Sunna denounces TFG for shelling in Mogadishu; roadside bomb kills two government soldiers in Mogadishu; al Shabaab calls BBC and VOA editors “betrayers of Islam”; al Shabaab distributes captured WFP aid to local residents.
Yemen: AQAP urges Muslims to undertake jihad; Gazan extremists call on al Qaeda to kill Yemeni Jews; security forces forcibly enter mosque in Dhaleh.
Horn of Africa: Ethiopian forces expel al Shabaab from El Barde, in addition to clerical arrests and imposing a curfew; 3 dead after Mogadishu clash; U.S. and AU pledge greater cooperation in Somalia; Puntland Islamic Conference: War in Somalia is “not jihad”; Djibouti delegation mediating between Somali leaders; Djiboutian Minister for Foreign Affairs: UN Eritrean sanctions are positive for Somalia and Djibouti; EU condemns attacks on Somali media; UN: peace in Somalia only accessible through national reconciliation.
Yemen: Three alleged al Qaeda suspects arrested in Aden; three al Houthi rebels killed in shootout with Yemeni security forces; Yemeni government warns al Houthis over call to arms; Yemeni police wound two in Dhaleh; opposition alleges mafia is dumping Saudi and Egyptian waste in Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Somali pirates threaten to blow up supertanker; EU naval vessels capture six pirates; five suspects captured in bombing assassination plot.
Yemen: Eritrea denies training al Houthi fighters; Yemeni government to release newspaper staffers; 95 Somali and Ethiopian refugees land in Yemen; U.S. provides $4.9M for displaced persons in Sa’ada.
Horn of Africa: 27 dead, 40 wounded in central Somalia clashes; 5 left decapitated in Mogadishu; Liberian vessel hijacked south of Oman; 21 Somali youths stranded in Moscow airport; TFG closes two Mogadishu radio stations and then reopens them; radio stations ignore government threat of closure; Somalia ranks #2 on CPJ’s 2010 Impunity Index.
Yemen: Press group criticizes media rights in Yemen; US freezes assets of Yemeni arms dealer; US to increase assistance to Yemeni special forces; Yemeni government to spend over $80 million to rebuild Sa’ada.
Horn of Africa: Landmine blast and shelling kill 14 in Mogadishu; both al Shabaab and Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a claim victory in Galgudud; Amnesty International: al Shabaab must release human rights activist; Somali pirates hijack three Thai vessels; Somali Interior Minister to WFP: release food from stores; Kenya calls on TFG to solve dispute in parliament; Puntland to open TV and radio stations in southern Somalia.
Yemen: Two suspected al Qaeda members killed in al Hudaydah; al Houthi rebels deny killing Yemeni soldier; Yemeni Defense Minister onboard plane allegedly targeted by the al Houthis; report: 18 killed by violence in south Yemen in 2010; 130 Somalis come ashore in Yemen; 827,000 Yemenis live in land-mined regions
Horn of Africa: Human Rights Watch: al Shabaab “has brought relative peace and order” to areas under its control; 20 dead, 40 wounded in Mogadishu shelling; 3 killed in Mogadishu shootout; al Shabaab seizes Elberde District; al Shabaab releases Fair for Children of Martyrs video; Hizb al Islam taxes qat trade; Hizb al Islam imposes new rules on farmers and women; tension rises in the Nugal region; Somaliland court sentences 3 to death and deports 4; Puntland police detain 113 potential migrants; TFG: Kenya pledges military support to fight Islamists; TFG Minister: Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a - solve security situation in Somalia; Somali radio stations now face possible closure from TFG; TFG and Puntland reportedly unite in fight against piracy
Yemen: Two killed in Shabwah governorate; al Houthi rebels fire on military plane; protestors demonstrate over price increases; Yemeni authorities claim to have confiscated over 600,000 weapons.
Horn of Africa: Fighting erupts in Mogadishu; Hizb al Islam bans music in advertisements; Somali Prime Minister holds power sharing talks with Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a; Somali and Ugandan security forces commence training; AMISOM sends police trainers to Somalia; U.S. Admiral: navy vessels cannot end Somali piracy; Puntland vows offensive against pirates.
Yemen: Yemeni official: Yemeni forces searching for al Awlaki; car bomb kills former army officer in Aden; JMP organizes protests in Sana’a and other cities; thousands rally in Yemen against political, economic policies; AQAP denies relocating to Somalia; two protestors wounded by police in Dhale.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab using monetary bonuses to sign up new recruits; al Shabaab bans school bells in Jowhar; explosion in Boosaaso wounds four; Yemeni arms dealers accused by UN of supplying weapons to Somalia; UN worried by rising civilian casualties in Mogadishu.
Yemen: Al Houthis sign agreement with opposition party; man jailed in Yemen for kidnapping tourists; aid shortfalls in Yemen threaten relief efforts.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a battles with al Shabaab; beheaded body placed in Bakara market, Mogadishu; President Obama issues executive order targeting militants in Somalia; Hizb al Islam leader warns members against extorting civilians; Puntland returns illegal southern migrants; Somali MPs: AMISOM not providing enough security; UN condemns recent shelling in Mogadishu; Puntland calls on rival Somali groups to cease fighting.
Yemen: Swiss study warns Yemeni government over local conflicts; seven men charged with drug smuggling in Hadramawt; 126 Somali refugees land in Yemen
Horn of Africa: 31 killed, 100 wounded in Mogadishu clash; AU denies the loss of peacekeepers in Mogadishu blasts; WHO: Mogadishu medics and hospitals overwhelmed by violence; al Shabaab attacks Kenyan forces; 4 dead in Mogadishu roadside bombing; Somali military commander states troops are ready for offensive; TFG and Puntland representatives sign an agreement harmonizing the Galkayo accord; hijacked UAE vessel headed towards Somalia; pirate activity driving up food prices
Yemen: Yemen says it has not received U.S. intelligence on al Awlaki’s location; four al Houthi rebels on trial in Yemen for spying for Iran; Yemeni tribe warns U.S. against killing al Awlaki; Yemeni Foreign Minister says al Awlaki is not a terrorist; father offers deal for al Awlaki’s removal from list; protests continue in Dhale.
Horn of Africa: Bush official: President Obama’s policy towards Somalia remains the same as predecessor; Dahabshiil guards reject disarmament attempts by Hizb al Islam; BBC responds to al Shabaab censoring; hundreds of Somali refugees reach Somali-Kenyan border town; civilians arrested in Galga'o for breaking curfew.
Yemen: Explosion wounds two in Dhaleh; ceasefire committee suspends work due to violations; United Kingdom pledges £100 million in aid to Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab bans BBC; Hizb al Islam vows to silence Mogadishu radio stations.
Yemen: Somali government confirms al Qaeda members have arrived from Yemen; new photographs show the extent of the conflict in Sa’ada.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab raids UN base in Somalia; Somali pirates take control of Turkish cargo ship; Dutch commandos prevent pirate attack on German vessel; TFG Minister: Journalism in Somalia in dire straits; Puntland deploys forces to fight pirates; Hizb al Islam reiterates invite to Osama bin Laden; three civilians killed by mortars in Mogadishu.
Yemen: U.S. puts al Awlaki on targeted kill list; Saleh orders release of detainees in Hadramawt; journalists protest new media law; HRW urges Yemen to investigate war crimes in the north; 10 separatists arrested in Lahij.
Horn of Africa: AQAP reportedly lands in Somalia; EU begins training of Somali soldiers; al Shabaab conducts hit-and-run attack; fighting between Islamists resumes in Mataban district; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a denies al Shabaab’s claim of killing officer; al Shabaab executes one of its own fighters; Somali President corresponds with Kenyan President on the location of Kenyan troop deployment; Somali pirates to finally release British couple.
Yemen: 161 al Houthi prisoners released; Human Rights Watch to release report on Yemeni war crimes; six killed by explosions in north Yemen; al Fadhli ends truce with government.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab seizes Mataban district in the Hiran region; government soldier opens fire on civilian in Mogadishu; Uganda forces to remain in Somalia; Somali police forces confiscate weapons and explosives in the Banadir region; 29 Somali refugees arrested in Mozambique; South Korean destroyer shadows seized vessel; Dutch marines rescue German vessel from Somali pirates; Iranian warships thwart attempted hijacking; joint U.S.-Oman operation rescues Indian dhow.
Yemen: Death penalty upheld for Yemeni man accused of contacting Israel; southern separatist and policeman killed in separate incidents; AQAP members moving from Yemen to Somalia; Yemen on new U.S. terror watch list; south Yemen on strike; Yemeni government releases 10 al Houthi prisoners; 13,000 firearms seized in Yemen in March.
Horn of Africa: Mogadishu clash leaves 20 dead and 30 wounded; Islamists and government forces both claim victory in Mogadishu clash; Somali State Minister claims the deaths of 12 Islamist rebels; 17 killed in central Somalia fighting; despite knowledge of government offensive, al Shabaab vows to take complete control of Mogadishu; Hizb al Islam invites Osama bin Laden to Somalia; TFG denounces Hizb al Islam ban on music; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a amassing troops in Mogadishu; Galmudug bans illegal firearms; Singapore tanker, operated by South Korea, hijacked; Puntland vows to strengthen operations against piracy; Puntland prepares to regain control of hijacked livestock vessel.
Yemen: Saudi Arabia turns over bodies of al Houthi rebels to Yemen; 350,000 displaced by northern war; cargo ship hijacked near Aden.
Horn of Africa: Two civilians killed and several wounded in Mogadishu shelling; 2,000 Somali troops to be trained by France in Uganda; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a calls for clan hostilities to cease; US Navy captures Somali pirates and mother ship; Kenya ends prosecution of pirates; human trafficking on the rise in Somaliland.
Yemen: At least 30 southern activists escape prison in Dhale; 130 Somali refugees reach Yemen; US Congresswoman visits Yemen; opposition parties in Yemen say arrests of southern activists are politically motivated; government forces attack opposition party headquarters in Dhale.
Horn of Africa: Inter-clan fighting kills 23 in central Somalia, Hizb al Islam leader supports desecration of tombs; Kenya deploys troops to Somali border; al Shabaab leader takes credit for 680 deaths; Presidents of TFG and Puntland meet in Ethiopia.
Yemen: Bomb injures two policemen in Dhale; two southern separatists sentenced; Yemeni man attacks Indonesian diplomat in Sana’a; Saleh asks international community for $44 billion; spokesperson for southern movement wounded.
Horn of Africa: Kenya denies ties to al Shabaab; U.S. considering drones for Somalia; former Puntland Minister of Security speaks openly of relief; pirates hijack another 2 vessels, totaling 11 in two days; al Shabaab sends strong warning to offshore foreign assets; Saudi Arabia deports 120 Somalis; Kenyan troops and al Shabaab take part in a brief skirmish; leader of Hizb al Islam calls for the release of commercial boats in 48 hours; Kenya denies Somalia troop increase; explosion in Afgoi wounds three.
Yemen: Iran rebuffs Yemeni accusation; former Yemeni ambassador jailed for separatist activities; Yemen calls on aid donors to fulfill pledges; European men arrested in Yemen for undergoing weapons training; Yemeni security forces arrest doctors in Dhale; Yemeni ambassador to Ethiopia calls for international pressure on Eritrea.
Horn of Africa: Somali legislator endorsees al Shabaab protest; al Shabaab claims damaging helicopter; Islamist groups prepare for central war; emergency overnight curfew imposed in Dhusamareb; IDP crisis hitting rock bottom; Panamanian-flagged vessel hijacked near Yemen; Somali pirates make unprecedented hijackings; Malta tanker escapes pirate attack; Hawiye clan elders to pirates: “release hijacked boats.”
Yemen: Northern al Houthi rebels kill government collaborator; improved security in northern Yemen allows UN to reopen aid office; Saleh says Yemen making progress against al Qaeda; over 100 Somali refugees detained in Yemen; 20 protesters wounded in clash with police in Dhale; Yemeni government says al Houthi rebels push locals to jihad against the U.S.; U.S. Congressional delegation meets with Yemeni officials.
Horn of Africa: Fighting erupts overnight in Mogadishu; Hawiye clan elder assassinated in Mogadishu; Somali businessman killed by South African gangs; al Shabaab opposes deal reached between TFG and Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a solves internal rift after TFG deal; UN links TFG and rebel forces to Kenya; TFG official dies in landmine blast; al Shabaab takes over radio stations; Dutch navy disarms 12 Somali pirates; Somali pirates hijack Iranian ship.
Yemen: Report: high risk of insurgency in southern Yemen; another journalist freed from Yemeni prison; Eritrean forces seize more Yemeni boats.
Horn of Africa: Kenya arrests American terror suspect and two associates; Mogadishu shelling kills 5 civilians and injures 7; Shabelle reporter jailed by Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a; Mogadishu prepares for TFG offensive; hundreds of Somali families evicted from homes near airport.
Yemen: UPDATE: Saudis arrest 113 members of AQAP cells; Yemeni journalist released from prison; Yemen signs security agreement with India; doubts exist over government’s commitment to end war with al Houthi rebels.
Horn of Africa: Washington withholds aid to Somalia following UN report; EU Naval detachment frees pirates; Ugandan government says al Shabaab suspect not in Uganda; TFG dallying in preparation for offensive; Somali government asks WFP to distribute idle food aid.
Yemen: Saudi Arabia arrests 101 al Qaeda terrorists; two southern opposition leaders jailed; al Qaeda escapes to Yemeni mountains; bomb kills four in northern Yemeni refugee camp; British ambassador applauds improved security situation in Hadramawt
Horn of Africa: Somali terror suspect escapes from Kenyan jail; Kenya charges two in Somali prison escape; Somali terror suspect possibly fled to Uganda; fighting reignites in Mogadishu; private security force kills Somali pirate; Yemeni Navy fought off Somali pirates in attempted hijacking; calm reaches parts of central Somalia after Islamist and pro-government forces clash; 1,000 Ugandan soldiers to be deployed to Somalia; prominent clerics’ grave destroyed by al Shabaab; helicopters spotted flying over Marka and Barawe
Yemen: US and Yemen discuss strategy against al Qaeda; landmine kills man in southern Yemen; Eritrea releases detained Yemeni fishermen; Saudis clamp down on Yemeni border infiltrators; two prison guards killed in Taiz.
Horn of Africa: Islamic Clerics state war in Somalia is not jihad; three civilians killed in Mogadishu; Islamist flog three civilians in southern town; explosion in Bosaso targeted Puntland official; thousands have fled Mogadishu due to ongoing conflict; Somali pirates operate closer to India.
Yemen: US says al Qaeda targeting ships off Yemeni coast; Saleh denies American military presence in Yemen; Somaliland president meets Yemeni delegation; two protesters die in southern Yemen; President Saleh says he will not run for a third term.
Horn of Africa: Somali President rejects American military intervention; TFG planning to take full control of Mogadishu; al Shabaab deports journalist from home town; Kenyan security forces capture 11 suspected Somali pirates; Senior al Shabaab commander assassinated; Hizb al Islam militant guns down civilian woman; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a imposes curfew in Abdud Waq.
Yemen: Yemeni President Saleh says war with al Houthis is over; one killed in protests in Dhale; second Iranian ship captured off coast of Yemen this week; journalist rights groups petitions on behalf of two jailed journalists.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a members reject TFG power sharing agreement; Hizb al Islam vows to attack Ethiopian troops; Somali High Court Chairman claims “attack” by TFG ministers; Eritrean opposition group rejects accusation that it continues to send weapons to Somalia; al Shabaab condemns Western nations for their plot to control Somalia; Dutch naval forces capture and release Somali pirates.
Yemen: Awlaki calls for jihad against U.S.; Yemeni government to free al Houthi prisoners; al Qaeda recruitment websites proliferate in Yemen and Somalia; Saleh to return transmitters to al Jazeera and al Arabiya.
Horn of Africa: TFG to investigate MP travel; Somali pirates hijack charcoal ship; Puntland government and tribal elders sign agreement; Somali company implicated in UN report denies allegations.
Yemen: Al Houthi rebels release 178 prisoners; Yemen protects oil resources against al Qaeda; Yemen and Saudi Arabia sign security agreement; 69 Somali refugees enter Yemen; large explosions mark clashes between protesters and government security forces in Dhale
Horn of Africa: UN calls for aid investigation in Somalia; UN report on the conflict in Somalia signifies that no side can stabilize the entire nation; Canadian reportedly killed in Somalia while fighting with al Shabaab; President Sheikh Sharif downplays UN corruption report; journalist captured by al Shabaab is released
Yemen: Yemeni government accuses al Houthi rebels of breaking truce; Yemeni officials identify additional al Qaeda members killed in airstrike; series of blasts in southern city of Aden; Yemeni ruling party threatens to ban al Jazeera from country
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a officialy joins government forces in fight against al Shabaab; pirates free Singapore chemical tanker; two Somali MPs released from Ethiopian prison; President Sheikh Shairf returns from Dubai conference; UN Special Representative for Somalia cites Somalia as moving from a “failed” to a “fragile” state
Yemen: Yemeni forces strike suspected al Qaeda sites for second straight day; AQAP confirms one of its top fundraisers killed by Yemeni forces; Yemeni Navy detains Iranian ship off Socotra; southern separatist killed at checkpoint in Abyan; al Houthi rebellion forces desertion of Sa’ada; five bodies found near kidnap-site in northern Yemen; prominent Yemenis condemn raid on al Jazeera and al Arabiya offices; journalist rights group condemns treatment of jailed journalist in Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Yemen to open diplomatic office in Somaliland; clan fighting kills 20; Kenyan officials detaining Somalis lacking papers in border town; Eritrea aided Somali rebels last year; State Department: U.S. has no plans to coordinate Somali offensive; charcoal revenues fund rebels in Somalia.
Yemen: Al Jazeera and al Arabiya broadcasting equipment seized by Yemeni authorities; two killed in police crackdown on southern protests; refugees flee Dhale in south Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Third day of intense fighting in Mogadishu; World Food Program challenges report on stolen aid; Somali peace forum to be held in Dubai; TFG to sign peace agreement with Sufi Islamist group; TFG and AU forces capture rebel positions.
Yemen: Yemeni forces recapture building amidst widespread protests in the south; al Qaeda suspect in hospital shootout is American; donors not following through on aid pledges to Yemen; two soldiers dead in Taiz; government forms committees to address citizens’ grievances in the south and east.
Horn of Africa: UN World Food Program cuts ties with three of its Somali contractors; 43 Somalis dead in Mogadishu in the past two days; clan warfare kills two in Mudug; TFG and Islamist rebels spread message on radio; World Food Program to assist Puntland with port.
Horn of Africa: Fighting between TFG and AU forces and al Shabaab militants leave 26 dead in Mogadishu streets; U.S. embassy bombing mastermind takes over al Shabaab; half of food aid to Somalia diverted to corrupt officials and Islamist rebels, successful pirate attacks fall by 62% since last year; accused al Shabaab conspirator pleads not guilty; Dutch want more information before extraditing Somali man to the United States; AFRICOM head says U.S. supports Somali recapture of Mogadishu.
Yemen: President Saleh offers talks with separatists after recent violence; rights group calls for increased precautions to avoid Yemeni civilian deaths; “Pentagon document” confirms American aid will be used for Yemeni helicopters; Yemeni government cuts cell phone service in the south of the country to crackdown on rioters; authorities order al Jazeera to close offices in Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab conspirator to be tried in New York; UK set to deliver security aid to Somalia; gunfight kills five in Mogadishu; mortar round kills two civilians south of Mogadishu; Somali MPs attend Puntland meeting; civilian killed by armed men in Dharkenley district of Mogadishu.
Yemen: Al Qaeda militant kills guard in failed hospital escape attempt; Saudi Arabia denies change in border with Yemen following conflict with rebels; 3 soldiers killed in military operation in Dhale; 27 arrested in southern Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Canada places al Shabaab on terrorist list; Somali government plans to take back Mogadishu with American assistance; al Shabaab plans defense of capital; French ship captures 35 pirates; Ethiopia to release two Somali MPs.
Yemen: U.S. will not send monitors for Yemeni elections; separatists reject government apology; al Fadhli barred from leaving home.
Horn of Africa: al Shabaab bans science and English classes; Islamist rebels and AU forces clash in Mogadishu; clan fighting kills 14 in central Somalia; al Shabaab WFP ban creates greater hunger problem; armed militia kills businessman in Galkayo; French warship arrests eleven suspected pirates.
Yemen: Yemeni forces arrest 11 al Qaeda suspects; clashes between police and separatists leaves three dead in southern Yemen; Yemeni government apologizes for civilian casualties in the south; government ready to talk to southern separatist leaders; U.S. official says southern movement is an internal matter for Yemen; northern Yemen faces difficulties after ceasefire; Saudi claims to have arrested more than 5,500 Yemeni “infiltrators” along its border.
Horn of Africa: New Somali party formed in the UK; al Shabaab destroys graves in Baidoa; Somali pirates expand attacks to land; former Mogadishu mayor accuses al Shabaab of “clan favor” in banning WFP; transferring money through mobile phones provides Somalis safety during conflict; TFG against recognition of Somaliland as independent state.
Yemen: Security forces lay siege to al Fadhli’s house; religious schools in Yemen face stricter scrutiny; former President of South Yemen, Ali Salem al Beidh, says unity failed; Turkish president reaffirms support of Yemeni government; aid programs in northern Yemen threatened by lack of funding.
Horn of Africa: Death toll in Mogadishu clash rises to 12; pirates hijack empty Saudi tanker; al Shabaab states willingness to fight Kenya; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a calls for journalism censoring; UN World Food Program reports capture of trucks and drivers by pirates near coastal town of Eyl.
Yemen: Building collapse in Taiz governorate kills at least eighteen people, injures fifteen; family of jailed journalist accuses Yemeni government of torture; high-level State Department official meets with President Saleh; war with northern rebels displaced 300,000; PM Mujawar will not allow al Houthis to re-arm themselves; al Houthi fighters kill girl; Landmines kill 2 in Sa’ada.
Horn of Africa: Government forces and Islamists fight in Mogadishu; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a executes a man; NATO sinks Somali pirate ship; UN speaks against foreign interference in Somali affairs; al Shabaab calls on farmers to double food production; TFG tells WFP to continue operations; WFP will continue operations in Somalia; Somali PM faces vote of no-confidence; Puntland President dissolves cabinet.
Yemen: Yemeni security forces fight southern rebels; southern rallies broken up by police; 69 African refugees arrested; schools reopen in Sa’ada; al Houthi rebels given 12 day deadline for ceasefire implementation.
Horn of Africa: AU proposes no-fly zone on Somalia; al Shabaab orders the World Food Program to halt operations and leave; 4 government soldiers killed in roadside bombing; 4 killed in heavy fighting in Galkayo; Britain bans al Shabaab; Hizb al Islam claims differences from al Shabaab.
Yemen: Yemeni police officer killed by southern separatists; U.S. to help expand Yemen’s air force to battle AQAP; ceasefire faces challenges from new signs of al Houthi conflict; Yemen’s ruling political party accuses former governor of supplying weapons to the al Houthi rebels.
Horn of Africa: Former Hizb al Islam official absconds money and changes name; former senior Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a official rejects TFG deal; Singaporean ship released by pirates for cash.
Yemen: Al Houthis reportedly withdrew from old city of Sa’ada; Yemen investing money in Tarim to increase tourism; Yemen to sign agreements with Saudi Arabia on Saturday; over 40 human traffickers arrested.
Horn of Africa: AU seeks more direct funding for TFG; IDPs protest water shortage; TFG to discuss return of WFP in southern Somalia; Hizb al Islam accused by al Shabaab of planting explosives in Bakara market.
Yemen: Yemeni FM claims that AQAP could target ships in key strait; AQAP leaders call for shari’a law in Yemen; al Houthi rebels leaving Old Saada City; southern separatists kill court guard; up to 130 southern rioters now arrested; al Houthi rebels confirm the death of remaining Saudi captives.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a denies claims of power sharing agreement; deputy commissioner killed in Puntland; pirates apprehended in Gulf of Aden.
Yemen: Yemen denies rumor that the U.S. is opening facilities on Socotra; al Houthi rebels continue to be uncooperative in implementing the ceasefire; the Pentagon approved $150 million in military assistance; small arms dealers moving underground.
Horn of Africa: Somali President pleads for international assistance; al Shabaab militants killed in Mogadishu explosion; Hizb al Islam denies involvement in Mogadishu explosion; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a clerics hold meeting with TFG forces.
Yemen: General David Petraeus assesses AQAP threat; Yemeni forces arrest 80 separatists amid violence and unrest; southern separatists assassinate police chief; Yemen tightens coastal security and arrests 46 Somali refugees; Yemen orders the Coast Guard to shutdown main waterways.
Horn of Africa: Explosion in Mogadishu leaves three dead; al Shabaab declares victory in central Somalia fighting; al Shabaab kills southern tribal chief; al Shabaab targeted by roadside bomb; Hizb al Islam officials arrested by al Shabaab.
Yemen: Yemen troops to deploy to Saudi border; ceasefire terms being implemented; three al Qaeda suspects arrested in Ma’rib; Yemen seeks diplomatic office in Hargeisa.
Horn of Africa: Transitional Federal Government and Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a close to reaching agreement; clashes in Mogadishu kill at least four; al Shabaab retakes Dhobley; President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed speaks at ceremony for slain minister.
Yemen: Saudi Arabia arrests suspected AQ member; Yemeni forces arrest three AQ suspects; al Houthi insurgents release two Saudi soldiers; Saudi alleges AQAP received help from Pakistani expert.
Horn of Africa: Somali weapons market thriving; Hizb al Islam reportedly takes control of Dhobley; three soldiers killed in Mogadishu; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a negotiating for PM position; Somali forces prepare for offensive.
Yemen: AQAP claims successful testing of new “anti-detectable” explosive; former prominent opposition leader and prime minister mediated Saudi-Houthi truce; the six ceasefire terms are being carried out well; al Houthi rebels withdraw from Saudi border; Southern Movement to launch intifada.
Horn of Africa: Islamic militants battle over border town; TFG claims it foiled attacks on the government; two civilians die in confrontation with government soldiers; UN claims U.S. humanitarian policy in Somalia is “impossible.”
Yemen: AQAP releases 12th issue of “Echo of the Epics;” AQ leaders warned of potential exposure; AQAP launches offensive; Saudi Arabia welcomes truce.
Horn of Africa: Government soldiers targeted in recent explosion; Somali State Minister survives an assassination attempt; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a condemns assassination on Minister.
Yemen: Al Houthis release Saudi captive; al Houthis deny assassination attempt of Interior Ministry official; U.S. welcomes ceasefire.
Horn of Africa: Uganda to send new troops to Somalia; African Union decides to keep AMISOM on the defensive; District Commissioner wounded by Somali government forces; 4 al Shabaab militants killed; Ahlu Sunna wa al Jama’a officials meets with TFG officials in Ethiopia; thousands flee Mogadishu in February alone.
Yemen: Potential al Qaeda suicide bomber arrested; 20 al Houthi insurgents killed by Yemeni security forces; Yemen rejects al Houthi ceasefire; U.S. considers funding and training Yemeni security forces.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab indicates its desire to align with al Qaeda; two al Shabaab bases were attacked; fighting erupts in southern Somalia between Islamist groups; Djibouti warned by al Shabaab not to deploy troops.
Yemen: The U.S. is sending more Special Forces to aid Yemeni counterterror efforts; the international community urges Yemen to reform and fight corruption; drug addiction grows among al Houthis; Yemen to join WTO in 2010.
Horn of Africa: After a drawn out seven hour battle in Mogadishu, 18 remain dead and dozens injured; the UN WFP is set to resume operations in southern Somalia; Somaliland explosion raises concern over security and stability.
Yemen: Al Houthis announce truce with Saudi Arabia; Saudi Arabia considering al Houthi truce; gunfire between Yemeni soldiers and unknown attackers leaves three soldiers dead; seven members of al Qaeda have been sentenced to 5-10 years in prison.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab claims responsibility for AU hospital bombing; Islamists and AU troops clash in Mogadishu; Yemen enforces tougher restrictions on Somali refugees; U.S. to take in 5,800 Somali refugees.
Yemen: Al Qaeda militants attack a checkpoint in Sana’a; an al Houthi initiative over the war in northern Yemen is scheduled to take place today; U.S. officials state their development aid program to Yemen; European Union states the presence of al Qaeda in Yemen is not an essential problem.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab named a local market after a killed al Qaeda leader; al Shabaab Islamizes Somali schools; UK students were recruited for jihad in Somalia.
Yemen: Citizens cooperate in Yemeni counter-terrorism efforts; Salafists reject accusations of terrorism; Al Houthi rebels claim leader is in good health.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab denies threat to attack Nairobi; al Shabaab amputates man’s hand in public; Hizb al Islam takes over Beledweyn; U.S. sends Somali terror suspect to halfway house.
Yemen: Yemen halts issue of visas to foreigners; violent protests arise in Abyan over water shortage; U.S. to hold talks with Yemen; immigration to Yemen up 55% in 2009; Yemeni Air Force strikes terrorist hideout.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab warns Kenya against “invading Somalia;” Amnesty International calls for suspension of military assistance to Somali government.
Yemen: Yemen bombs home of suspected al Qaeda militant; al Houthi insurgency more dangerous than al Qaeda; Yemen aims to increase daily oil production; al Houthis claim to have shot down Saudi plane.
Horn of Africa: Government soldiers join al Shabaab; Puntland lawmaker gunned down in Bosasso; Kenya warns Somali MPs against hiding in Nairobi.
Yemen: Five al Qaeda members reported dead; al Qaeda denies Yemeni government reports of its leaders’ deaths; Ysusf al-Shehri – not Saeed al-Shehri – was captured by the Yemeni government; Islamic scholars warn against foreign intervention.
Horn of Africa: Somalia and Yemen exchanging militants; 16 members of the Somali Parliament arrested in Nairobi; thousands of IDPs further displaced; duel explosions rock Somalia’s Galkayo; Puntland MP killed, suspect caught.
Yemen: Yemeni security forces report the death of Abdullah al Mehdar, an al Qaeda cell leader in Shabwah; Saudi forces kill Houthis along border; Foreign Ministry spokesman denies reports that al Qirbi had renewed offer for open dialogue with al Qaeda.
Horn of Africa: Grenade attack in Hargeisa, Somaliland on police station injures three; Somali central bank accuses al Shabaab of using informal money transfers; twenty people killed in fighting in Beledweyne; mortars kill at least ten in Mogadishu.
Yemen: Fifteen al Houthi rebels killed by pro-government tribesmen; Yemen negotiates for release of hostages; Yemen arrests eighteen who smuggle Africans into Yemen; three soldiers wounded in Dhaleh on Sunday.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a and al Shabaab fight over central towns; bomb explodes in Bosasso; al Shabaab evicts residents of former government buildings in Kismayo; fire destroys homes in IDP camp in Wadajir district in Mogadishu.
Yemen: President says Yemen willing to talk with disarmed al Qaeda militants; Southern Movement strike in Dhaleh and Lahj province; al Houthi sleeper cell arrested; at least twenty al Houthi rebels killed in Sa’ada.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a executes al Shabaab commander in Dhusa Mareb; at least eighteen people killed in fighting in Beledweyne; Somali MP found dead in his hotel; al Shabaab arrests at least ten men in Kismayo; Somaliland thwarts bomb attack on mosque.
Yemen: Yemeni Interior Ministry reports arrest of three suspected al Qaeda militants; al Houthi rebels say fifteen civilians killed by air strikes on their website; humanitarian situation in Yemen deteriorating quickly.
Horn of Africa: At least twenty people killed by mortars and artillery shells in Mogadishu; President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed calls on elders to support government; Hizb al Islam says it has no problem with the country’s blue flag; Sheikh Aden Madobe dismisses call for resignation.
Yemen: Yemeni security forces conduct operations against al Houthi rebels in Sa’ada province; national dialogue delayed for second time; Yemen declares open war on al Qaeda; Western intelligence provides new information on al Qaeda.
Horn of Africa: Somali military chief escapes assassination attempt; body of white teenage boy found in Wajadir in Mogadishu; Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a and Hizb al Islam fight outside of Beledweyne; President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed reportedly trying to oust Speaker of the House Sheikh Aden Madobe.
Yemen: Security forces arrest three militants wounded in earlier raid; mediation efforts end clash at al Ayyam’s office in Aden; Yemen opposes foreign troop involvement in fight against al Qaeda.
Horn of Africa: Puntland MP killed in Bosasso; the Transitional Federal Government is reportedly importing tanks; Somali MP’s demand payment for past nine months; shelling in Mogadishu kills at least eleven people.
Yemen: Clashes in Aden kill one soldier, injure three others; U.S. and British embassies in Yemen reopen; President Saleh met with Saudi Deputy Minister of Defense and the Deputy Minister of the Interior to discuss relations; Yemen deploys thousands of troops against al Qaeda.
Horn of Africa: The UN World Food Program suspends operations in southern Somalia; IDPs outside of Mogadishu flee mortars; al Shabaab militants reportedly stole $100,000 from Mogadishu company; Puntland security forces uncover bomb plot.
Yemen: U.S. and British embassies in Yemen to remain closed for second day; al Houthi rebels have welcomed ceasefire conditions; Yemeni government tightens security after al Shabaab’s statement; Yemeni families flee following rumors of security operation against al Qaeda in Dhale province.
Horn of Africa: Sheikh Mukhtar Ali Abu Mansur declared al Shabaab fighters would join al Qaeda in Yemen; al Shabaab attacks World Food Program after deadline passes; Somali Defense Minister accuses Yemeni rebels of supporting al Shabaab; clashes in Dhusa Mareb in Galgudud leave at least forty-seven people dead; Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a form parliament in Abudwaq; Danish-Somali man who attacked Danish cartoonist received praise from al Shabaab and was previously arrested in Kenya.
Yemen: Yemeni security forces fight al Qaeda militants, arresting one; Syrian Foreign Minister Waleed al Mualim called mediation efforts between Yemen and Iran failed; Yemeni Parliament ratifies UN Convention Against Corruption, Money Laundering, and Terrorist Financing.
Horn of Africa: Reports that a Somali man attempted attack similar to Abdulmutallab’s in November; Chinese admiral proposes naval base in Gulf of Aden; Iran’s Foreign Minister Manouchehr Mottaki calls for assistance to Somalia; reports of malaria outbreak in the Lower Shabelle Region.
Yemen: Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al Qirbi estimates presence of three hundred al Qaeda militants in Yemen and calls for increased levels of support; Yemen pledges further action against AQAP; government troops attack al Houthi rebels in al Malahaidh; one soldier dies from wounds sustained during Southern Movement demonstration in Lahj province.
Horn of Africa: Somali IDPs demonstrate against water shortages; al Shabaab exacts taxes from Mogadishu businessmen; al Shabaab bans Radio Mogadishu; fighting breaks out near Beledweyne; al Shabaab rejects proposal for semi-autonomous state in south; Somali pirates seize two more vessels; Ethiopian troops withdraw from positions in Hiraan and Galmudug regions; Democratic Movement for the Liberation of the Eritrean Kunama declares it will launch attacks after imposition of UN sanctions.
Yemen: Al Qaeda threatens to retaliate after Yemeni strikes; official sources claim Abdul Malik al Houthi is dead, no confirmation from the rebels; Yemeni court sentences Iranian to death, two other Iranians to five-years in prison; local tribesmen in al Jawf attack al Houthi rebels; clashes between Southern Movement supporters and security forces occur in Lahj and Dhale provinces.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a and Hizb al Islam clash near Beledweyne; local NGO official in Gedo region shot dead; Hizb al Islam arrests seventy for banditry; Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a arrests four in south planning to bomb town; mediation talks between al Shabaab and Hizb al Islam fail in Kismayo.
Yemen: Yemeni strike on al Qaeda reportedly kills thirty militants in Shabwa; Tariq al Fadhli threatens to arm followers in response to "official violence"; Joint Meeting Parties hosts open symposium discussing Yemeni issues; Yemen bans imports of well-drillers.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al Islam denounces UN sanctions on Eritrea; clashes in Galkayo leave at least nine people dead; Saudi deports over one hundred and thirty Somalis; al Shabaab gains control of more southern districts.
Yemen: Three German children kidnapped in June appear in recent video; Rashad al Alimi explains Yemen al Qaeda operations; activists say security forces frequently target journalists.
Horn of Africa: UN Security Council imposes sanctions on Eritrea; al Shabaab enforces Taliban-style dress in Kismayo; bus driver shot and killed in Wadajir district of Mogadishu by men in government military uniforms; militias loyal to Puntland and Galmudug fight in Galkayo.
Yemen: Suspected al Qaeda leaders speak at southern rally; twenty-five al Houthi rebels killed during special operations in Sa'ada; Deputy Speaker of Parliament suspended his membership following attack on al Qaeda.
Horn of Africa: WFP officer gunned down in Beledweyne; explosion targets Hizb al Islam base in Elesha Biyaha near Afgoi; fighting between al Shabaab and government forces near Sarkusta between Afgoi and Mogadishu; Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a clerics resolve to form administrations in towns under their control.
Yemen: Explosions in al Majalah in Abyan province kill two civilians and injure ten others; Abdul Malik al Houthi reportedly dies of injuries from air raid; special operations by government forces kill twenty-five al Houthi rebels; Yemen demands extradition of former southern Yemen presidents.
Horn of Africa: Violence in Mogadishu escalates as MPs return; Islamists attack police ceremony in Mogadishu; al Shabaab claims to have fought Ogaden National Liberation Front militants in Dhobley; Ethiopian troops have reportedly re-entered Somalia; Hizb al Islam bans humanitarian agencies from carrying weapons in Hiraan region; ideological differences cause split in al Shabaab; the Speaker of Puntland’s parliament escapes assassination attempt.
Yemen: Yemeni government warns citizens against helping terrorists, reports that al Qaeda's al Kazimi died in attack in Abyan; Yemeni Interior Ministry reported hunt for Iranian boat carrying weapons; Ethiopians dominate the African refugees trying to enter Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab loots UN Mine Action Service compounds in Baidoa; al Shabaab in Jubba region claims recent clashes against Ogaden National Liberation Front fighters, not Hizb al Islam fighters; Hizb al Islam and al Shabaab have failed to reconcile differences; Somaliaís Parliament to re-open shortly.
Yemen: Yemen security forces report that they have killed thirty-four al Qaeda militants; President Saleh ordered compensation for 17-year-old land seizures in south; number of H1N1 infections still on the rise; President Saleh outlines vision for national dialogue to Shura Council.
Horn of Africa: Puntland elders condemn beheadings of two southerners; al Shabaab bans work of UN Mine Action Program; AU peacekeepers reportedly arrest two government officials for supplying arms to Islamists.
Yemen: Over two-hundred al Houthi rebels arrested in old Sa’ada city; Somali refugees reportedly forced to join al Houthi rebels at gunpoint; Saudi intelligence service has station in Sana’a to hunt al Qaeda members; Abu Dhabi gives $650 million grant to Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab refutes rumor that Abu Zubayr is no longer commander; Ethiopian troops arrest elders in Mustahil in Hiraan; President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed has reshuffled cabinet to fill in vacancies; at least two people died in Mudug in fighting between rival clan militias; demonstrations in Bossaso against violence.
Yemen: Yemeni military executed airstrikes in Razeh district and killed at least five leaders in special operations; Human Rights Watch releases a report documenting violations in southern Yemen; President Ali Abdullah Saleh requested national dialogue to begin on December 26; over 120 Somalis reach Yemen’s coast; General Petraeus says U.S. providing support to Yemen within military cooperation agreement framework.
Horn of Africa: Roadside bomb kills at least three police officers and injures eight others in Bossaso; fighting in Mogadishu kills over twenty people and injures thirty-one others; Puntland names new Minister of Information; landmine dating from 1977 Ethiopian war explodes, killing six children; Ogaden National Liberation Front warns oil companies operating in the region.
Yemen: Iranian cleric says al Houthis connected to al Qaeda; ninety al Houthi rebels have surrendered in Sa’ada; two alleged al Qaeda members arrested in Ma’rib; bomb in Hawta injures two.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al Islam applies strict Shari’ah punishments in town of Afgoi; al Shabaab attacks government and African Union troops in Mogadishu; Puntland security forces kill attacker in Galkayo; Banadir University classes have resumed.
Yemen: Twenty-five al Houthi rebels surrender in Sa’ada; rioting in Lahij province injures another three people; UNHCR report details deteriorating IDP situation.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a official reports agreement signed with the Transitional Federal Government; clashes in Mogadishu kill seven; twelve tons of munitions destroyed in Galkayo; Ethiopian Ogaden National Liberation Front continues fight against the Ethiopian government.
Yemen: Demonstrations continue in Lahij province; fate of Yemeni pilot unclear; Ministry of Public Health and Population concerned.
Horn of Africa: Heavy fighting in Mogadishu killed at least ten civilians and injured over two dozen others; three people injured in Galkayo explosion targeting foreigner; Puntland has agreement with outside security company; conference in Mombasa drafting new charter; over fifty chieftains detained in Qardo in Puntland.
Yemen: Yemeni fighter jets bombed al Houthi positions in al Jawf; government troops continue offensive in the old city of Sa’ada; two injured by bomb in Lahij province; population has doubled in the main camp for IDPs.
Horn of Africa: President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed vowed to escalate war against insurgents; the December 3 suicide bomber was reportedly a Somali-Danish man; al Shabaab has banned the selling of qat in Afmadow and Dhobley districts; two students killed by Hizb al Islam militants.
Yemen: Yemeni army advances in old Sa’ada city; authorities arrest Somalis with al Houthi ties; armed separatists force shops and schools to close; U.S. Congress passes resolution calling for promotion of reforms in Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Residents protest Islamist groups in Mogadishu; heavy shelling in Mogadishu kills eight; cleric assassinated in Bosasso; Djibouti Foreign Minister reportedly said there was a change in al Shabaab’s leadership.
Yemen: Yemeni army escalation leads to al Houthi leaders’ surrender; al Jawf tribesmen block al Houthi rebels’ attempt to open new front; Yemeni army hits al Houthi strongholds in old city of Sa’ada; clashes in Dhaleh province over elections kill two people; Yemeni Ministry of Communications and Information Technology declares investigation into NewsYemen attack.
Horn of Africa: Clashes in Mogadishu between al Shabaab and government forces kill at least ten people; Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a denies report of peace deal with government; nine people killed in two separate mosque-attacks; Somali police warn of future suicide attacks and Kenya arrests over 300 accused of al Shabaab ties; President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed vowed to defeat opposition groups following the Shamo Hotel suicide bombing.
Yemen: Southern Movement demonstration turns violent – one dead and four wounded during clashes; Yemeni government and separatists exchange blame for highway attack.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab denies responsibility for suicide attack; call for 40,000 additional soldiers in Somalia; Ugandans said to be among al Shabaab’s fighters.
Yemen: NewsYemen website hacked and destroyed; street in Sana’a renamed after Iranian protester.
Horn of Africa: Explosion at graduation ceremony in Mogadishu kills at least nineteen; Deputy Commander-in-Chief of al Shabaab’s Middle Shabelle militia defects to government; al Shabaab attacked Burundi base in Mogadishu; UN delegation met with government officials in Mogadishu.
Yemen: Man arrested with grenade in Aden.
Horn of Africa: Grenade attack in Bosasso kills at least two people and wounds over twenty-four others; Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a clerics targets in grenade attack on Galkayo mosque; al Shabaab militants disarmed Hizb al Islam leader Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys; President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed visits military bases in Mogadishu; two Somali commanders may have lost government posts.
Yemen: Yemeni Defense Minister declares the end to the northern rebellion is near; bandits in south kill two people.
Horn of Africa: Victory in Mogadishu claimed by both Islamists and government forces; Hizb al Islam declares escalation against Transitional Federal Government and African Union troops; al Shabaab pardons Hizb al Islam officials and says it will not go into Kenya; AMISOM has contact with al Shabaab; new Somali national charter under consideration; Somali pirates create exchange in Haradheere.
Yemen: Al Houthi rebels and Yemeni security forces clash outside of Sa’ada; man arrested for attempted hijacking of Yemenia plane in Sana’a; security forces deployed to Aden because of Southern Movement rally.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab reports Hizb al Islam leaders currently in Kenya; Ethiopian troops seen in town of Galkayo; government troops arrest over thirty individuals in Mogadishu; Ugandan commander claims al Qaeda and Somali Islamists are cooperating; Somali pirates hijack oil tanker.
Yemen: Armed Southern Movement supporters shut down road between Sana’a and Aden; Yemeni Interior Ministry reports six Somali pirates arrested near Aden.
Horn of Africa: Former president of the Transitional Federal Government asks for forgiveness and calls for reconciliation; African Union Mission in Somalia reports eighty soldiers lost over two years; senior WHO official reports Somali health sector completely underfunded; independent UN expert condemns inhumane acts in Somalia and calls for support for the TFG.
Yemen: Clashes in Malahaidh and Harf Sufyan, capture of al Houthi leader Abud Shamlan; confirmation of senior anti-terrorism officer’s execution; new camp for IDPs opened in Mizraq; President Saleh to call for comprehensive national dialogue.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab takes over Dhobley from Hizb al Islam; Eritrean President warns against imposing sanctions on his country; Hizb al Islam orders government troops to leave Martini Hospital in Mogadishu; two journalists released after fifteen months of captivity; AMISOM troops’ payments in arrears since May.
Yemen: Yemeni forces and southern separatists clash, leaving five dead; Yemeni government orders the closure of an Iranian run hospital and clinic; Nurses-in-training reportedly provide medical support to the al Houthi rebels; conflict in Yemen has strained UN efforts to help internally displaced people.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab takes Qoqani from Hizb al Islam; al Shabaab issues statement forbidding the World Food Program from importing food; at least five killed and ten wounded in clashes in Mogadishu; all foreign ships ordered to leave Somali waters because of illegal fishing.
Yemen: Somalis with ties to al Houthi rebels arrested in Sa'ada; Yemeni security forces remove blockade of Sana'a-Mar'ib road; Popular Movement for Justice and Change in Taiz denounces repression of peaceful protests; al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula called most dangerous terrorist group; Yemeni tribesmen free Japanese engineer.
Horn of Africa: Clashes in Mogadishu kill over ten people; Hizb al Islam in Tayeglow in Bakool region declares partnership with al Shabaab; Ahlu Sunna Waljamaía says Hizb al Islam and al Shabaab militants are responsible for explosions; top Ethiopian military officer reportedly met with Somali government officials; African Development Bank signed $2 million grant for Somalia.
Yemen: Yemen's naval forces repel attack from al Houthi fighters; clashes erupt between Yemeni security forces and Jahm tribesmen; Takeo Mashimo, Japanese engineer, kidnapped from tribesmen by al Qaeda; Yemeni Coast Guard investigating Iranian attack on Yemeni fishermen.
Horn of Africa: African Union Troops establish new military base in Mogadishu; new clashes in the town of Kismayo, Jubba region; Al Shabaab fighter's claims to have taken control of the southern town of Afmadow; Ahlu Sunna Waljama'a security forces arrested two men suspected of terrorism; Puntland senior police official was gunned down by unidentified assailants.
Yemen: Al Houthi spokesperson denies the killing of Ali Alqatwani; sixty-eight al Houthi rebels arrested; Mohammed Abdul Salam and Hamid Badr Eddin al Houthi one in the same; Takeo Mashimo is to be released today by Yemeni tribe; rebels arrested after assassination plot against Rabbi.
Horn of Africa: Low flying planes frighten Kismayo residents; Uganda to host EU trainers to train Somali forces; Puntland President Abdirahman Mohammed Farole to play role in the creation of Somali regional states.
Yemen: Al Houthi leader killed in clashes between Yemeni security forces and al Houthi rebels; Yemeni government encourages al Houthi rebels to surrender; Yemeni Army repels assault by al Houthi rebels in Sa’ada province; anti-government elements capture fuel truck.
Horn of Africa: Two Somali speed boats are attacked by Saudi helicopter gunships; a bomb was thrown into a police checkpoint in Galkayo; Somali pirates fight amongst each other; Ahlu Sunna Waljama’a bans films and speeding in Abudwaq district.
Yemen: Yemeni government forces killed al Houthi leaders Abbas Aaida and Abu Haider; negotiations for release of Japanese engineer fall through; Yemeni children protest child abuse in northern Yemen; GCC ministers places Yemen’s security at top of agenda for December meeting.
Horn of Africa: Woman stoned to death for adultery and her boyfriend received 100 lashes; fighting erupts in Harardere, a pirate stronghold, after delivery of Spanish ransom; fighting in Mogadishu kills five, wounds eleven; a district commissioner in Mogadishu reports arrests; UN Security Council reiterates support for the Djibouti Peace Process and the African Union Mission to Somalia.
Yemen: Eritrean pirates capture Yemeni fishing vessels in the Red Sea; reports of Pakistani fighters fighting alongside al Houthi rebels; Yemen and UAE further their ties through meeting on security cooperation.
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab, Hizb al Islam and Ogaden National Liberation Front fighters clash over a strategic town; reports emerge of recruiting and training of Kenyans to fight for the Somalia government; EU deploying military trainers to bolster Somalia military.
Yemen: Tariq al Fadhli accused of cooperating with al Qaeda leader and establishing terrorist camp; Yemeni army fought al Houthi rebels near border in al Malahaidh; security forces arrested wanted man in Abyan province; tribesmen kidnap Japanese engineer north of Sana’a; Iran deploys fleet to Gulf of Aden.
Horn of Africa: TFG troops maneuver in Gedo region looking to regain control; fighting in Mogadishu between Islamists and African Union troops leaves at least seven dead; Ogaden National Liberation Front denies involvement in fighting in Lower Jubba region; meeting in Nairobi between Puntland’s president and TFG officials; reports of recruiting and training of Somalis in Kenya.
Yemen: At least seventeen injured by grenade in Hajjah province; refugees flood into UN camps; residents of Bani Hushish report the area has been surrounded by security forces; Pentagon refutes report from official Yemeni news agency that the U.S. signed a military cooperation agreement with Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al Islam appoints new administration in Hiraan; government officials mediate dispute in Galmudug region; EU to approve plan to train Somali troops; suspects in Bosasso arrested following judge's murder.
Yemen: Yemeni army continues offensive against al Houthi rebels in Sa’ada and Harf Sufyan; Yemen’s main opposition bloc calls for national dialogue to end northern conflict; security forces arrest ten in Abyan governorate; clashes between locals and security forces in Taiz governorate occur; 50 kilos of drugs seized in Hodeida governorate.
Horn of Africa: Gunmen assassinate two officials in the semi-autonomous region of Puntland; Djibouti forcibly relocates Somali refugees to Mogadishu; Spain calls for EU naval blockade of three Somali ports; Somali Transitional Government officials report cargo ship taken by pirates was carrying weapons; the Ethiopian Ogaden National Liberation Front claims victory in clashes with Ethiopian troops.
Yemen: Ministry of Defense reports at least fourteen al Houthi rebels killed in Sa’ada; Yemen stated it signed a military cooperation deal with the U.S., but U.S. will not confirm; remaining Yemeni Jews under special protection in Sana’a; investment conference in Aden begins; Yemen authorities search for U.S. imam, Anwar al Awlaki.
Horn of Africa: Somali pirates capture Greek cargo ship and Yemeni fishing boat; Hizb al Islam divided over appointment of new Hiraan administration; Transitional Federal Government soldiers arrested for banditry; Somali Prime Minister Sharmarke returns from trip seeking funds promised in April.
Yemen: Eritrea took four Yemeni fishing boats and their crew into custody, burning two other boats; Saudi Arabia to continue its offensive against the al Houthi rebels; the U.S. has said it seeks broader security cooperation with Yemen; U.S. Ambassador to Yemen discussed freedom of the press concerns with recently convicted editor-in-chief of al Masdar, Samir Jubran.
Horn of Africa: An attack on Somalia’s police chief in Galkayo injured at least sixteen; Somali businessmen deny ship captured by pirates loaded with weapons; reported agreement between legislator and Hizb al Islam official to coordinate actions in southern Somalia; Sheikh Abdurrahman Maow left Hizb al Islam for more moderate Ahlu Sunna Waljamaa; two kidnapped Kenyans freed and returned to Nairobi.
Yemen: Al Houthi rebels claim to have brought down a Yemeni Sukhoi bomber on Sunday; tribesmen blockade Sana’a-Mar’ib road seeking compensation for land seizures; Yemeni investigators report five Iranian sailors threw mobiles and laptops overboard before arrest; Yemen urged Iran to take action against Iranian-based support for the al Houthi rebels; security forces arrest 14-year old boy strapped with explosives near Sam Refugee Camp; ATM at the Saba Islamic Bank in Aden exploded.
Horn of Africa: Somali pirates seize U.A.E.-flagged cargo ship full of arms and attack Hong Kong-flagged oil tanker; Hizb al Islam executed one of its militants for murder; Ahlu Sunna Waljamaa displayed soldiers in uniform on Sunday; ten masked gunmen kidnapped four from Mogadishu market; Uganda on high-alert following report of three British nationals of Somali descent entering the country; clashes in Mogadishu kill five, injure ten; convicted rapist stoned to death in Marka in the Lower Shabelle Region.
Yemen: Saudi Arabia continues to strike rebel positions along the border; local authorities in Sa’ada offer asylum to al Houthi rebels who surrender; Yemen’s Supreme Security Committee accused the opposition of supporting the al Houthi rebels and southern separatists; six Yemeni institutions have collaborated with the Danish Institute to form a network in defense of human rights and freedoms.
Horn of Africa: Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys, leader of Hizb al Islam, met with Mogadishu businessmen; fighting in Mogadishu between government forces and group wearing Somali uniforms killed at least three people, wounded nine others; former security officer killed in Bosasso, Puntland; Saudi Arabia lifts ban on Somali livestock imports.
Yemen: Saudi Arabia strikes rebel positions after a firefight with al Houthi rebels along Saudi-Yemeni border kills two Saudi security men; al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claims responsibility for ambush in Hadramawt province; publication of independent weekly newspaper suspended; Members of Parliament seek vote of no-confidence.
Horn of Africa: Ahlu Sunna Waljamaa convenes in Nairobi to discuss strategy against al Shabaab; blasts reported in two police stations in Bosasso, Puntland; Mogadishu port reopens; Somali pirates take three hostages from Spanish ship demanding that Spain release the two pirates in its custody.
Yemen: Yemeni forces surrounded and attacked al-Houthi positions in the old city of Sa’ada; Saudi border patrolman killed and eleven others wounded in clash with al-Houthi rebels in Saudi territory; Yemeni fisherman died from injuries after a French warship fired on his boat.
Horn of Africa: Intelligence sources put al-Qaeda leader, Najeh Fazul Abdullah Mohammed, in Somalia; Hizb al-Islam recaptured strategic town of Beledweyne; Somalis fight pirates who are holding UK couple hostage in central Somalia; workers demonstrate in Mogadishu against port closure; al-Shabaab closes women’s organizations in southern border town.
Yemen: Suspected al-Qaeda militants kill seven Yemeni security officials near Saudi border in ambush; Foreign Minister Abu Bakr al-Qirbi briefed U.S. and EU ambassadors on government actions to end al-Houthi conflict; Education Ministry closes three schools due to H1N1 virus; Islah condemns attack on spokesman of the Joint Meeting Parties.
Horn of Africa: Plane hijacked in Puntland; landmine in Beledweyne kills at least six; al-Shabaab prohibits UN World Food Program from distributing foodstuffs marked with American flag; Somali legislators call for reopening of Parliament; main port of Mogadishu closed.
Yemen: Al-Houthi rebels gain control of a Yemeni-Saudi border-crossing and government airstrikes hit Razeh district in northern Yemen; al-Houthis accuse Saudi Arabia of aiding Yemeni forces and threaten retaliation; clashes between Islamists and security forces in Ja’ar in Abyan province kill soldier following arrest of Saeed Mohammad Munasar; Islamists attempt to free Fikri Ammorah in Ja’ar in Abyan province and hold the Deputy Governor of Abyan hostage; two journalists sentenced for libel.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab forms new wing to target Israel; roadside bombs kill a senior security official for Somaliland in contested Lascanood in Sool region; at least five high-ranking officials from the Sool administration died after hitting a landmine; in Beledweyne, three militants died while planting a roadside bomb and government troops claim to have recaptured the town.
Yemen: The Joint Meeting Parties, a coalition of Yemen's opposition parties, has demanded an end to the war in the north and repression in the south; tribal mediation ended the blockade of the Safar-Sana'a road; Yemeni Interior Minister discussed modernization of border supervision; al-Houthi rebels claim government warplane bombed civilian targets in Razeh in western Sa'ada.
Horn of Africa: Breakaway Somaliland's president called for war against al-Shabaab; fighting between Puntland forces and local businessmen in Galkao killed six, injured fifteen; bomb scare in Uganda closed down sections of Kampala-Bombo road; fighting between tribes in the Mudug region killed two, injured four.
Yemen: Six Somalis arrested in Taiz province, one of whom may have al-Qaeda ties; Iranian embassy asserts that ship seized by Yemen authorities empty; bomb detonated in mosque in central Yemen kills one, wounds five; swine flu cases reach 1,618.
Horn of Africa: Forces from Puntland and Somaliland clash in Elbuh in Sanaag region in northern Somalia; Somalia's Prime Minister warns that al-Qaeda presence in Somalia threatens regional stability; Somalia Ambassador to Uganda says al-Shabaab lacks the capacity to carry out attacks on Kampala; yacht of British couple found, but they are still missing.
Yemen: The Yemeni military has opened al-Boq'a-Khitaf-Sa'ada road; locals question government withdrawal from the Razeh district in Sa'ada province; Yemeni Minister of Finance met with an International Monetary Fund delegation; government spokesman Hassan al-Louzi confirmed arrest of five Iranians.
Horn of Africa: Heavy fighting in Mogadishu between Islamists and AU forces took place as the president returned from Yemen; seven Somali pirates have been detained on a German naval vessel after shooting at a French fishing boat; Puntland authorities arrested traditional elder; South African paper reports Somali-based threats on 2010 World Cup.
Yemen: Yemeni authorities confiscated a boatload of Iranian-made weapons and arrested members of the vessel's crew; the trial of ten members from Bani Husheish began Tuesday; public and private hospitals in Yemen are turning away H1N1 cases.
Horn of Africa: Somalia's Transitional Federal Government established a military court to prosecute soldiers; Uganda and Burundi have increased security efforts in response to al-Shabaab's threats; al-Shabaab has stated that it will only enter mediation efforts based on shari'a; a British couple and their yacht have disappeared in the Gulf of Aden.
Yemen: Trial of MP Yahya al-Houthi begins in absentia; two soldiers killed and three wounded during attack by armed gunmen in al-Dhale; twenty-one al-Houthi rebels killed and twelve arrested in Sa’ada and Amran; gunmen blocked Ma’rib road demanding release of arms from ship that is under investigation by Parliament; Yemeni president met with American ambassador to Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab militants publicly execute to men accused of espionage in Merca; Hizb al-Islam accuses Somali journalists of being aligned with the government; Djibouti claims Eritrea supports Somali Islamist insurgents; at least three dead and twenty wounded during shelling of Sug Ba’ad in Mogadishu; Kenya admits to training of Somali police officers for the Transitional Federal Government.
Yemen: Security forces in Taiz arrest members of the new “Popular Movement for Justice and Change”; MP’s accuse figures tied to regime of involvement in arms trafficking as ship reportedly with Chinese-made weapons anchors off coast of Hodeida; around 200 Somali refugees reach Yemeni coast; Reporters Without Borders ranks Yemen 167 out of 175 in Press Freedom Index.
Horn of Africa: Somali Transitional Federal Government and al-Shabaab declare escalation of operations; African leaders ratify convention on internally-displaced persons; advanced U.S. military drones to patrol off Somali coast for pirates.
Yemen: Yemen intensifies security along coast to prevent smuggling; clashes reported between Yemenis and Saudi forces over border fence
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab attacks Mogadishu airport; Hizb al-Islam chairman said fighting to continue until Somalia has Islamic government; Islamist fighting near Kismayo kills twelve
Yemen: President Ali Abdullah Saleh discussed security threats to Yemen; 52 al-Houthi rebels and six soldiers were killed in battle in Sa’ada province; Yemen turned over documentary evidence to Iran showing clerical involvement in northern conflict.
Horn of Africa: Fighting broke out in Kismayo between al-Shabaab and Hizb al-Islam; al-Shabaab closed two radio stations in central Somalia; Somali military confirms that soldiers are being trained in Kenya and other nearby countries; the Ogaden National Liberation Front declared victory over Ethiopian government troops and denied the surrender of top leaders.
Yemen: A surprise rebel-attack on an airport where arms are stored killed at least 80, primarily soldiers, in Razeh; Yemen denies Saudi involvement in northern conflict; Yemeni court sentences ten al-Houthi rebels to death, five to fifteen-year prison term; Yemen’s Foreign Minister announced willingness of government to participate in conditional talks.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab downs U.S. drone over Kismayo; Somali president calls for national dialogue; AU vehicle hit by landmine in Mogadishu; Somali pirates threaten to execute Chinese sailors.
Yemen: 44 al-Houthi rebels killed in air strikes near Saudi border; three Lebanese reportedly killed in northern Yemen; six Yemenis arrested by Saudi authorities in connection to al-Qaeda; twelve al-Houthi rebels sentenced in Yemen; President Saleh accuses al-Houthi rebels of receiving Iranian support.
Horn of Africa: Ethiopian troops reported to have withdrawn from key town in western Somalia; Somalis in Kenya say al-Shabaab recruits from Somali youth there; leader of Ogaden National Liberation Front surrenders to Ethiopian authorities leading to confiscation of explosives; al-Shabaab bans international aid agencies from regions it controls; Somali Prime Minister expected to reorganize Cabinet shortly.
Yemen: World Bank pledges $480 million over four years to Yemen for development; tribal chiefs call for government reinforcement against the al-Houthi rebels; Egypt to send assistance to Yemen in military plane.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab enforces strict Shari'a law in Mogadishu; al-Shabaab attacks AMISOM bases in Mogadishu; clashes occur between al-Shabaab and pro-government Ahlu Sunna Waljamaa in central Somalia; in Bakool, government soldiers gain control of Burdhuhle village; the Transitional Federal Government responds to South African allegations of Somalis planning terrorist attacks.
Yemen: Outlaws sever cable in Abyan province; weekly sit-in held in “Freedom Square” to demand rights; commencement of food and humanitarian aid deliveries to al-Ehsa camp.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab and Hizb al-Islam militants clash in Mogadishu; AU denies shelling of Bakara Market; Taliban fighters from Yemen reportedly join al-Shabaab; Interpol declares Somali piracy “organized crime.”
Yemen: Saleh promises victory over al-Houthis in north while al-Beidh calls for southern independence; al-Houthi rebels execute two and kidnap nine in the northern Razeh district; independent weekly newspaper, al-Masdar, banned from publishing; nine Somali pirates apprehended by Yemeni authorities in the Thubab coastal area.
Horn of Africa: Mogadishu clashes kill at least seven people; al-Shabaab militants arrest and lash over 200 Somali women for not veiling; over 13,000 Somali refugees transferred to new Kenyan camp.
Yemen: Germany warns Yaha al-Houthi against undertaking anti-government activities; Abdul Malik al-Houthi asserts possibility of northern secession; UNHCR convoy distributes humanitarian assistance to 2,000; Yemeni government asks Sa’ada province citizens to relocate to camps.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab controls areas of Mogadishu formerly under Hizb al-Islam; Sufi Islamist group Ahlu Sunna Waljama seizes explosive-filled vehicle in central Somalia; French repel pirate attack on tuna trawlers.
Yemen: Abdul Malik al-Houthi expressed readiness for national dialogue; Yemeni army attacks pockets of resistance near Sa’ada city; Germany announces humanitarian aid donation to Yemen; thirteen have died from swine flu as the number of cases rises to 921.
Horn of Africa: Kenyan police arrest American entering Somalia; al-Shabaab amputated hand and foot from convicted thieves in Kismayo; Hizb al-Islam attacked government outpost in Hiraan; Mogadishu’s port closed five consecutive days due to dispute; France to train additional 3,000 Somali soldiers.
Yemen: Al-Houthi rebels attacked Sa'ada city and shelled the town of Harf Sufyan; Yemeni authorities increase security to prevent entry of Somali jihadists; U.S. acknowledges possible Iranian involvement with the al-Houthi rebels and says there is no place for outsiders in the conflict.
Horn of Africa: A senior member of Hizb al-Islam was gunned down in Mogadishu; Somali police warn against future attacks on peacekeepers; Puntland condemns Ethiopian raid into Galkayo; Somali Prime Minister meets with the UN official to discuss reopening of UN offices in Mogadishu and AU troops.
Yemen: Al-Houthi rebels claim control over northern-most district of the Sa’ada governorate; Egypt authorized by Arab League to assist Yemen; Yemen’s Parliament calls for end to insurgency.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al-Islam fighters set up new base in Elgal village, previously occupied by government troops; agreement reached by al-Shabaab and Hizb al-Islam over Kismayo; Medina hospital in Mogadishu receives threats from Islamists; Russia agrees to help France train Somali soldiers in Djibouti.
Yemen: Yemeni army kills forty-one al-Houthi rebels and destroys five trucks carrying explosives; Riyadh expresses concern over al-Qaeda's presence in Yemen; al-Houthi's son participates in blood donation drive to help soldiers fighting the al-Houthi rebels.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab announces agreement with Hizb al-Islam to end dispute; Uganda mistakenly arrests Somali official; Hizb al-Islam announces capture of foreign fighters; Somali pirates mistakenly attacked French flagship.
Yemen: Local mediation efforts between the government and al-Houthi rebels may be underway; Southern Movement supporters demonstrate in southern provinces during talks between Arab League and Yemeni government; a large explosion went off in Abyan province near military brigade; second Yemeni fighter plane down in north; Yemeni authorities confiscate ammunitions.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al-Islam claims victory in southern towns outside of Kismayo; warplanes spotted flying low over Mogadishu; hijacked Spanish tuna trawler still in pirates’ custody; Somali president says solution to country’s problems “easy.”
Yemen: Police arrest al-Houthi rebels in western province of Hodeida; five injured in southern Yemen during protests and al-Houthi rebels release video of downed plane; head mediator between the government and al-Houthi rebels on top of government weapons dealers blacklist; President Saleh met with Admiral William McRaven to discuss partnership against al-Qaeda.
Horn of Africa: Clashes broke out between al-Shabaab and Hizb al-Islam in southern Somalia; in Mogadishu, al-Shabaab imposes strict rules; a member of Hizb al-Islam’s administration was assassinated in Beledweyn; FBI warns that al-Shabaab may attack U.S.; the EU suspended delivery of funds to AU.
Yemen: Yemeni military denies al-Houthi claims of shooting down MiG 21; the government arrested 24 al-Houthi rebels, including one from Yemen’s most wanted list; two men arrested in connection with failed assassination attempt in south; Civil Defense delegation to attend a disaster management symposium in Riyadh.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al-Islam imposes curfew in Beledweyn; Puntland bans broadcast of the VOA Somalia Service; the U.S. withholds aid from Somalia following concerns that aid is funneled to al-Shabaab; President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed appealed for increased support from the U.S. during first visit to Washington, DC.
Yemen: Southern Movement leader Tariq al-Fadhli has been accused by the government of involvement in an assassination attempt; nineteen injured and one killed in clashes in al-Dhale in southern Yemen; Ministry of Defense reports twenty-eight al-Houthi rebels killed, eleven arrested in north; Somali refugees continue to arrive in Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Fighting between Hizb al-Islam and al-Shabaab has broken out in Kismayo; two beheaded bodies found in Mogadishu; Uganda appeals for change in AMISOM mandate; agreement signed in Somaliland to end election crisis; Ahmed Ould-Abdallah, UN Special Envoy for Somalia, publishes open letter to diaspora.
Yemen: Al-Qaeda’s Yemeni wing looks for financial support in Saudi Arabia; two wanted Saudi militants killed in fighting in the north; southern clashes in al-Dale and Lahj provinces leave nineteen injured; Saudi Arabia gives $2 million in humanitarian aid to Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Residents of Kismayo flee impending violence after al-Shabaab declares war on Hizb al-Islam; government troops withdraw from recently re-occupied Beledweyne; military spokesman asserts that AU peacekeeping forces are not behind the shelling of Mogadishu bazaar; IDP’s protest closure of WFP feeding centers in Bosaso.
Yemen: The Yemeni military continues to attack al-Houthi rebel positions in the north; fighting between southern separatists and security forces continues in Abyan province; Deputy Foreign Minister Ali Muthana appealed for increased assistance from the international community for Somali refugees; trial of Somali pirates opened in Yemen.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al-Islam and al-Shabaab continue to argue over the administration of Kismayo and move troops into the city; the OIC appealed to the UN Security Council for a UN peacekeeping presence in Somalia and the closure of Somalia’s seaports; Germany will back France’s efforts to train Somali soldiers in Djibouti; shelling in Mogadishu kills at least eleven people and injures over thirty more.
Yemen: Security forces clash with southern separatists in Abyan province; Abdul Malik al-Houthi releases statement vowing to continue the fight; seven Somalis arrested for fighting in support of al-Houthi rebels.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab publicly executes two men accused of spying in Mogadishu; government troops regain control over Beledweyne; President Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed blamed foreign extremists for the rebellion at the UN General Assembly; the FBI is investigating whether an American was one of the suicide bombers in the attack against the AU base.
Yemen: Over seventy people have died in Sa’ada city during intense fighting; a military source reports offensive gains by Yemeni army against al-Houthi rebels; UNHCR approves of Yemeni report on human rights.
Horn of Africa: Somali, Ugandan, and Burundi officials meet to discuss AU peacekeeping mission; fighting erupts between government forces and Hizb al-Islam fighters in Mogadishu; UNHCR report reviews plight of Somalis; Somali pirates attack ship near Mogadishu harbor.
Yemen: Officials announce capture of two al-Houthi rebel leaders and rebels release video of captured Yemeni soldiers; the United States calls for ceasefire and pledges additional $3 million in humanitarian assistance; the World Food Program releases report saying that one in three Yemenis face extreme hunger; Yemeni press members protest most recent arrest of a journalist.
Horn of Africa: Hizb al-Islam denounces creation of new administration in Kismayo appointed by al-Shabaab; al-Shabaab and Hizb al-Islam disagree over administration of Gedo region; governor of Beledweyne announces that he is joining Hizb al-Islam; al-Shabaab militants execute Christians under Shari’a law.
Yemen: Local source reports mutiny within al-Houthi ranks; 50 al-Houthi rebels killed during attacks in Almalaheez and Manbeh; supplies in refugee camps in Sa’ada region running out; Yemeni police seize large quantities of fuel destined for al-Houthi rebels.
Horn of Africa: Ugandan president calls for U.S. support of AMISOM troops; fighting between government and AU soldiers and Islamist rebels in Mogadishu kills at least ten civilians; Somali government declares presence of Eritrean officers in key southern coastal town of Kismayo; Kenya increases security forces along Somali border; UN envoy requests creation of high-security green zone in Mogadishu.
Yemen: Al-Houthi rebels ask for independently monitored ceasefire; government forces kill 13 al-Houthi rebels outside of Aal Oqab in Sa’ada; UN Refugee Agency appeals for aid corridor; Yemeni Minister of Human Rights will participate in 12th session of the Human Rights Council.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab proclaims allegiance to bin Laden in video; U.S. reiterates support for the AU mission in Somalia; Ethiopian ONLF denies any cooperation with al-Shabaab; al-Shabaab establishes new administrative system with cooperation of clan elders in Middle Shabelle region.
Yemen: The Eid al-Fitr ceasefire between the al-Houthi rebels and the government ended with a coordinated rebel attack on the presidential palace in Sa’ada; Deputy Prime Minister for Defense and Security Affairs Rashad al-Alimi discussed the logistics of aid distribution; report says nearly one-third of the population is below the poverty line; spread of swine flu causes health concern; 160 Ethiopians to be deported from Taiz governorate.
Horn of Africa: Al-Shabaab attacked the border town of