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 Houthis issue ultimatum to President Hadi; AQAP gunmen kill security personnel in Lahij and Abyan; protesters organize an all-women demonstration against al Houthi occupation in Ibb; protestors support the Southern Movement in Aden
Horn of Africa: Suspected al Shabaab militants detonate car bomb in Mogadishu; al Shabaab releases posthumous audio discussion on Martyrdom from deceased leader Ahmed Abdi Godane; U.S. Department of State warns of al Shabaab attack in Burundi
Yemen Security Brief
The al Houthi movement held a meeting on October 31 with Yemeni tribal leaders in which al Houthi leader Abdul Malik al Houthi gave President Hadi ten days to form a government. The al Houthis also gave the government a set of ten demands and told President Hadi that “all options are open” if he fails to follow through. Al Houthis also moved military reinforcements into the capital.[1]
Suspected al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) gunmen killed a police officer in Hawta, Lahij on October 30. Additionally, AQAP militants killed a soldier in a military barracks in al Mahfad, Abyan on October 30.[2]
Protestors organized an all-women demonstration against al Houthi occupation in Ibb City on October 30 and demanded that Yemeni security forces regain control of the city.[3]
Southern Movement supporters gathered to demand political separation from Sana’a in Aden City on October 31.[4]
Horn of Africa Security Brief
Al Shabaab’s media branch, al Kataib Media Foundation, released an audio lecture on October 30 from deceased al Shabaab leader Ahmed Abdi Godane, also known as Mukhtar Abu Zubair, discussing martyrdom in battle. Godane’s lecture features clips from deceased al Qaeda leaders Osama bin Laden and Said al Shihri.[5]
Suspected al Shabaab militants detonated a car bomb, killing one and wounding seven, in Arfarta-Jardin in the Yaqshid district of Mogadishu on October 31.[6]
The U.S. Embassy to Burundi issued a security message to U.S. citizens in country on October 30, warning of an al Shabaab attack that could target highways and roads leading to the capital city Bujumbura. The U.S. State Department also issued a de facto night-time curfew for U.S government personnel.[7]
