Gulf of Aden Security Review

Yemen: Al Houthi movement and Hadi’s government both reportedly willing  to engage in UN-led talks in Geneva; pro-ISIS accounts claim credit for attack on al Houthis in al Bayda

Horn of Africa: Somali officials express concern over proposed Kenyan security border; western sources warn of future al Shabaab attacks in Kenya

Yemen Security Brief

• An unnamed member from Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s government in exile announced on June 2 that Hadi is prepared to travel to Geneva for UN-led peace talks. UN officials have reportedly set June 10 as a tentative date for talks to begin. Mohammad al Houthi, the head of the al Houthi Revolutionary Council, said that the al Houthi movement has no objections to talks during a June 3 interview with The Associated Press. It is uncertain if Hadi will hold to his previous demand that the al Houthis submit to UN resolution 2216 prior to talks.[1]

• Popular resistance fighters clashed with al Houthi militants in al Zahir, al Bayda, June 2-3. Pro-ISIS Twitter accounts claimed that ISIS Wilayat al Bayda carried out the attack against the al Houthis as opposed to popular resistance fighters, though the identity of the militants has not been independently confirmed. A reported 30-50 al Houthi militants were killed in the fighting.[2]

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Several members of the Somali Federal Government have expressed concern over the legality of Kenya’s planned security barrier along Kenya’s border. Kenyan officials proposed the fortified wall as a means of preventing further al Shabaab attacks within the nation.[3]

• Anonymous western security officials warned Kenya  of the growing al Shabaab presence within the country, citing the group’s increased media presence in Kenya as warnings of new attacks. The sources cited the June 1 capture of Warankara as an indicator that al Shabaab is employing tactics similar to those used by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM).[4]