Gulf of Aden Security Review

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 Security Brief

• The Yemeni government has accused Southern Movement leader Tariq al-Fadhli of being behind an assassination attempt on Nasser Mansour Hadi, the head of Yemen's security force. On Wednesday, gunmen opened fire on his motorcade injuring two of his security guards. Al-Fadhli denied his involvement and said that Hadi, a southerner, was respected by the south. In a statement on Wednesday, former president of South Yemen, Ali Salem al-Beidh, living in exile in Germany, said, "This is the moment of truth. History and (future) generations will not forgive us if we do not move to wrest our independence."[1]

• Nineteen people were injured and a retired general killed in clashes between southern secessionists and state security forces in al-Dhale, a province in the south of Yemen. Demonstrators, who were demanding the release of political prisoners, were protesting in solidarity with al-Ayyam, one of the newspapers accused by the government of propagating secessionist ideas. Sources report that the protestors fired on government soldiers when they were prevented from entering the city. Police have made arrests in an attempt to control the situation.[2]

• The Ministry of Defense reports that twenty-eight al-Houthi rebels were killed in attacks near Sa'ada city. In addition, eleven rebels were arrested who were purportedly planning terrorist attacks on security forces and civilians.[3]

• Security forces have delivered forty-three Somali refugees, who arrived in al-Dais district in Hadramout province, to the UNHCR's representative in the province. The refugees were transferred to the main Somali refugee camp in the Kharaz area of Lahj province. The UNHCR estimates that there are 160,000 Somali refugees in Yemen now while the official government estimate is at 800,000.[4]�

Horn of Africa Security Brief

• Fighting broke out in the southern port-city of Kismayo between Hizb al-Islam and al-Shabaab militants. At least twenty people have been killed and the conflict threatens to spread to other areas of the country. According to residents, al-Shabaab appears to have gained control of the city. An analyst said that the clashes were primarily over access to resources that control of the port-city provides, and not ideology.[5]

• The body of a man was found in the Yaqshid district of Mogadishu - his hands were tied behind his back and he had been beheaded. This is the second beheaded man to have been found in Mogadishu this week. It is unclear who carried out these actions, and residents have expressed fear regarding this new development in the capital.[6]

• Uganda has joined Burundi in the call to change the mandate for the AU mission for Somalia. Ugandan Defense Minister Crispus Kiyonga said that the current mandate is too restrictive and that the AU forces should be allowed to attack insurgent positions. He also briefed MPs on a meeting held with his Burundi and Somali counterparts as well as with AU and UN officials. They reached an agreement regarding the fast-track training of Somali forces, with the participation of Djibouti, Rwanda, Tanzania and two West African countries. Additionally, Kiyonga raised concerns regarding the slow movement of funds - only $37 million of the $213 million pledged to Somalia has been delivered. [7]

• Somaliland President Dahir Riyale, representing the ruling party, Ahmed Mohammed Silanyo, representing the Kulmiye party, and Faisal Ali Warabe, representing the UCID party, signed a six-point agreement concerning elections in Somaliland. The agreement includes a clause prohibiting a term-extension without consulting the opposition, one changing the makeup of Somaliland's election committee, and another authorizing the completion of a computerized voter-registration system. The presidential election has been rescheduled, and will be held exactly one month after international experts complete the new voter-registration system.[8]

• An open letter from Ahmed Ould-Abdallah, the UN Special Envoy for Somalia, to the Somali diaspora outlines key events over the past two months. In it, he describes his visits to Yemen, Puntland, and Somaliland, as well as his time in New York, where he convened a meeting of the International Contact Group for Somalia. The letter also details UN Resolution 1844, which will impose sanctions on individuals who support actions against peace and security in Somalia.[9]

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