Gulf of Aden Security Review
A regularly updated review of both Yemen and the Horn of Africa covering topics related to security, governance, and militant activity.
Yemen: Al Houthi leader suggests US deployed coronavirus; al Houthis sentence 40 MPs and military officers to death in Sana’a; Saudi-led coalition forces claim recapturing several cities in al Jawf governorate; Saudi-led coalition forces raid al Houthi sites in al Jawf and Ma’rib governorates
Horn of Africa: Al Shabaab detonates IED killing SNA troops in southern Somalia; SNA attacks al Shabaab bases in southern Somalia; Islamic State’s Central Africa Province claims attack on Mozambican soldiers and police in northern Mozambique; AMISOM establishes new military base for SNA in southern Somalia
Yemen Security Brief:
Al Houthi movement leader Abdul Malik al Houthi gave a speech on March 21 suggesting that the US developed and deployed the coronavirus as a biological weapon. He also stated that US-based companies may have developed a vaccine prior to the pandemic to then sell for profit.[1]
The al Houthi movement sentenced 40 Yemeni members of Parliament and military officers to death in an al Houthi court in the Yemeni capital Sana’a on March 22. The al Houthi militants charged the parliamentarians with treason for supporting the internationally recognized Yemeni government of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi. The al Houthi movement sentenced 35 Yemeni members of Parliament to death in early March.[2]
Saudi-backed Hadi government forces claimed that they recaptured several areas from al Houthi militants in al Safra district in al Jawf governorate in northern Yemen on March 23. Saudi-backed Hadi government forces claimed that they recaptured several cities in Khub wa al Shaf district in al Jawf governorate on March 9.[3]
Saudi-led coalition forces launched airstrikes on al Houthi sites in Sirwah and Majzar district in Ma’rib governorate and in Khub wa al Shaf district in al Jawf governorate on March 24, according to local sources. Saudi-backed Hadi government forces shelled al Houthi sites in Sirwah district on March 21.[4]
Horn of Africa Security Brief:
Al Shabaab detonated an improvised explosive device targeting a Somali National Army (SNA) convoy near the town of Janaale in southern Somalia’s Lower Shabelle region on March 23. Al Shabaab claimed the attack killed seven SNA soldiers. The African Union Mission to Somalia (AMISOM) and SNA did not comment on the attack. The SNA captured Janaale from al Shabaab with military support from AMISOM and US Africa Command in mid-March.[5]
SNA forces attacked three al Shabaab bases in Bula Haji and Lagta Anole in southern Somalia’s Lower Jubba region on March 23. SNA forces claimed they killed a total of six al Shabaab militants and three foreign senior leaders during the raids. Somali forces foiled two al Shabaab attacks in Lower Jubba region on March 21 and 22.[6]
The Islamic State’s Central Africa Province claimed on March 24 an attack on Mozambican soldiers and police in Mocimboa da Praia in northern Mozambique’s Cabo Delgado province conducted on March 23. A Mozambican political party called on the Mozambican government in early March to declare a state of war in Cabo Delgado province, citing the region’s ongoing insurgency.[7]
AMISOM established a new military base for the SNA near Dhobley on March 21 to help the SNA secure trade routes between cities in southern Somalia’s Lower Jubba region.[8]
[1] “Houthi leader suggests U.S., ‘Zionist Lobby’-owned companies deployed COVID-19 as bioweapon,” SITE Intelligence Group, March 23, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelligence.com.
[2] “New Houthi death sentence against 40 military and Parliamentarians,” Aawsat, March 24, 2020, https://aawsat.com/home/article/2195831/%D8%A3%D8%AD%D9%83%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%A5%D8%B9%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%85-%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%AC%D8%AF%D9%8A%D8%AF%D8%A9-%D8%A8%D8%AD%D9%82-40-%D8%B9%D8%B3%D9%83%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%8B-%D9%88%D8%A8%D8%B1%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%86%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%8B; and Samuel Bloebaum and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 4, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 4, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-4-2020.
[3] “The National Army announced liberating new sites in al Safra in al Jawf governorate,” Al Mashhad al Yemeni, March 24, 2020, https://www.almashhad-alyemeni.com/161023; and Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 4, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 4, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-10-2020.
[4] “Attacks on the houthi militia in marib and al-jawf,” 7adramout, March 24, 2020, https://www.7adramout.net/almashhadalaraby/7337718/%D8%BA%D8%A7%D8%B1%D8%A7%D8%AA-%D8%B9%D9%84%D9%89-%D9%85%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D9%88%D8%AB%D9%8A-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D9%85%D8%A3%D8%B1%D8%A8-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%81.html; and Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 23, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 23, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-23-2020.
[5] “Al-Shabaab says it killed seven soldiers after losing a key town in Somalia,” Garowe, March 24, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/al-shabaab-says-it-killed-seven-soldiers-after-losing-a-key-town-in-somalia; and Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 16, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 16, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-16-2020.
[6] “6 al-Shabab militants killed in southern Somalia,” China Internet Information Center, March 23, 2020, http://www.china.org.cn/world/Off_the_Wire/2020-03/23/content_75850393.htm; and
Pamela Makadsi and Samuel Bloebaum, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 23, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 23, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-23-2020.
[7] Emma Rumney, “Mozambique army, Islamist insurgents battle in town close to gas projects - police,” Reuters, March 23, 2020, https://www.reuters.com/article/us-mozambique-insurgency/mozambique-army-islamist-insurgents-battle-in-town-close-to-gas-projects-police-idUSKBN21A2CC; Sirwan Kajjo and Amancio Vilanculos, “Mozambique Islamist Insurgency Prompts Calls for 'State of War Declaration',” Voice of America, March 10, 2020, https://www.voanews.com/extremism-watch/mozambique-islamist-insurgency-prompts-calls-state-war-declaration; and “ISCAP Claims Sweeping Raid on Mozambican Town of Mocimboa da Praia,” SITE Intelligence Group, March 24, 2020, available by subscription at www.siteintelgroup.com.
[8] “AMISOM establishes new army camp for SNA in Somalia's Jubaland,” Garowe, March 24, 2020, https://www.garoweonline.com/en/news/somalia/amisom-establishes-new-army-camp-for-sna-in-somalias-jubaland; and Samuel Bloebaum and Jessica Kocan, “Gulf of Aden Security Review - March 4, 2020,” Critical Threats Project at the American Enterprise Institute, March 4, 2020, https://www.criticalthreats.org/briefs/gulf-of-aden-security-review/gulf-of-aden-security-review-march-4-2020.
