ConflictBarometer_2016

MIDDLE EAST AND MAGHREB
sanctions on eight Yemeni individuals, a charity, and a company
who were all accused of supporting AQAP. In 2016, at
least 616 people were killed and at least 420 injured.
During the first three months of 2016 AQAP increased its
control in Shabwah, Abyan, and Hadramawt governorates. On
February 1 and 3, AQAP militants took control over the cities
of Azzan and Habban in Shabwah governorate. On February 4,
militants moved into Mahfad city, Abyan governorate. On the
same day, a US drone killed senior AQAP leader Jalal Belaidi
and his two guards in Abyan governorate. Between March
12 and 30, a government operation backed by the Saudi-led
coalition forced AQAP militants out of Aden's al-Mansura district.
At least 18 people were killed, at least 26 injured and 21
militants were arrested. On March 22 and 26, US airstrikes hit
an AQAP training camp in Hajr, Hadramawt, and another camp
in Mahfad. The strikes killed between 58 and 79 people and
wounded at least 28.
In the second and third quarter, the government took back
control over the cities al-Mukalla, Ja'ar and Zinjibar in Abyan
governorate. On April 15, forces of the government and the
Popular Resistance, supported coalition airstrikes, liberated
al-Houta city in Lahij. Several people were killed and injured
and 48 AQAP militants were arrested. Between April
23 and May 4, the government forces took back Zinjibar and
Ja'ar, resulting in at least 28 dead and 44 wounded. On April
24, 2,000 Yemeni and Emirati forces, supported by coalition
airstrikes, recaptured al-Mukalla. Between 29 and 50 soldiers
and militants were killed and more than 90 were wounded
on both sides during the fighting. The same day, government
forces recaptured the Mina al-Dhaba oil terminal in Ash Shihr,
Hadramawt, which AQAP had seized a week earlier. On June
15, a US drone killed at least two militants and wounded one
in Habban. On July 8, security forces raided an AQAP weapons
cache in al-Hamra, Lahij. Ten days later, two SVBIEDs killed
eleven soldiers and wounded 18 at checkpoints west of al-
Mukalla and in Haji, Hadramawt. On August 9, AQAP withdrew
from Azzan, following coalition airstrikes on the city. On August
17, government forces and the Popular Resistance drove
AQAP militants out of Lawder and Ahwar in Abyan governorate.
On September 11, AQAP detonated a SVBIED at a
police station in al-Wuday district, Abyan, killing six soldiers
and wounding 15. A week later, they detonated an IED, which
destroyed the al-Wuday courthouse. On September 22, a US
drone strike killed senior AQAP leader Abdallah al-Sanaani
and his bodyguard in Swamaa district, al-Bayda.
Between October and December, AQAP increased its attacks
on the Security Belt forces and the Southern Movement. On
October 5 and 18, AQAP militants attacked two Southern
Movement checkpoints in al-Hawta and Azzan, Shabwah,
killing at least one soldier and wounding three others. On
November 8, pro-government forces, backed by US airstrikes,
attacked militants outside of al-Mukalla, killing at least 30
people and injuring twelve others. On November 11, AQAP
attacked Security Belt forces in Mahfad, seized their weapons,
and wounded two soldiers. During the attack, several militants
were killed. The same day, Security Belt forces arrested
two militants in Halma village in Abyan. On December 5,
AQAP militants blew up an oil pipeline in al-Uqla, Shabwah.
ceb
YEMEN (SMM / SOUTH YEMEN)
Intensity: 2 | Change: | Start: 2007
Conflict parties:
Conflict items:
SMM vs. government
secession
The conflict between the Southern Mobility Movement (SMM)
and the government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi
over the secession of South Yemen reemerged as a nonviolent
crisis.
In the beginning of 2015, hostilities between the two camps
ceased after fighters of the Southern Movement and other
southern militias had joined the fight against the al-Houthis
alongside government forces [→ Yemen, Saudi Arabia (al-
Houthi)]. In the course of the ongoing civil war, SMM leaders
and protesters in southern cities renewed their claims for an
independent South Yemen and protested against shortages of
electricity and water, unpaid salaries for government and military
employees, as well as alleged government corruption.
For instance, demonstrations took place in al-Dhaleh city, al-
Dhaleh governorate, and in Ahwar, Abyan governorate, on
April 7, as well as in Aden on April 17. Other demonstrations
were dissolved by government security forces, for example a
rally in al-Mukalla city, Hadramawt governorate, on October
11.
Despite threatening to escalate protests if the government
continued not to pay wages, protesters on several occasions
reiterated their full support for the government of President
Hadi in its fight against the al-Houthi forces. They furthermore
rejected the UN Special Envoy for Yemen's revised peace proposal,
which would have transferred executive power to a
new consensus vice president. Tensions rose on May 8 when
rogue security forces aligned with the Southern Movement
started to raid homes of northern Yemeni citizens in southern
Yemeni cities, arresting and deporting the inhabitants to
the North. This reportedly occurred on a daily basis despite
the government's calls to stop deportations immediately. Allegedly,
security forces made deported citizens leave their
property behind. kpb
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