Country Reports on Terrorism 2016 - Terrorist Safe Havens: Yemen
| Publisher | United States Department of State |
| Publication Date | 19 July 2017 |
| Cite as | United States Department of State, Country Reports on Terrorism 2016 - Terrorist Safe Havens: Yemen, 19 July 2017, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/5981e3f73.html [accessed 29 May 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
Throughout 2016, al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) and ISIS in Yemen (ISIS-Y) continued to exploit the political and security vacuum created by the ongoing conflict between the Yemeni government under President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi and the Houthi-Saleh opposition forces. Due to the instability and violence in Yemen, the internationally recognized government under Hadi could not effectively enforce counterterrorism measures. A large security vacuum persisted giving AQAP and ISIS-Y more room to operate. Both groups manipulated and emphasized the conflict as part of a broader Sunni-Shia sectarian divide to increase their support bases and strengthen footholds in the country.
AQAP, in particular, benefitted from the conflict by significantly expanding its presence in the southern and eastern governorates. It successfully insinuated itself among multiple factions on the ground, making the group more difficult to counter. AQAP has managed to exacerbate the effects of the conflict, fighting against the Houthi-Saleh alliance, while at the same time attempting to prevent the Yemeni government from consolidating control over southern governorates. In April, Yemeni forces, supported by the Saudi-led coalition, successfully pushed AQAP out of Yemen's fifth largest city of Mukalla, where it amassed unprecedented resources during its year-long occupation by raiding the central bank and levying taxes. The loss of Mukalla deprived the group of millions of dollars of revenue. By the end of 2016, the Yemeni government, in coordination with coalition partners, continued its efforts to push AQAP out of other safe havens across southern Yemen.
While ISIS-Y demonstrated a violent operational pace, it did not occupy significant territory in 2016.
The Government of Yemen continued to work towards a peaceful solution to the conflict while cooperating with U.S. counterterrorism efforts.
Yemen's political instability continued to hinder efforts to enact or enforce strategic trade controls, leaving the country vulnerable as a transit point for weapons of mass destruction-related materials.
