Water canals blocked to prevent terrorist infiltration

The Ministry of the Interior said that it has ordered the Coast Guard and other security forces of the coastal governorates to block all water corridors between Yemen and the Horn of Africa.
 
Yemen’s Interior Ministry described how these actions come in the wake of Yemen’s efforts to prevent the infiltration of terrorist elements into sovereign territories, following the Mujahidin Youth Organization’s announcement of their intention to support al-Qaeda in Yemen.
 
The ministry added that the security forces have placed Somali refugees in Yemen under state control in order to prevent terrorist elements the opportunity to utilize the cover of “asylum” in their quest to gain access to Yemeni territories. The ministry emphasized that the Yemeni government's commitment towards the plight of Somali refugees has not changed. They receive the same care and attention as before, including the provision of appropriate living conditions during their time in Yemen, the ministry confirmed. 
 
However, the Yemeni Coast Guard does not have the ability to implement such measures, military analysts warn. Logistically, blocking the main water corridors between Yemen and the African Horn is a daunting task.
 
Retired Brigadier Mohammed al-Salami said that the Yemeni Coast Guard does not have the necessary resources to cover Yemen’s 400 kilometers of coastlines. He explained that refugees from the African Horn come to Yemeni coasts through gaps in areas monitored by the Coast Guard,  making it difficult for them to apply these orders. Dr. Ali al-Awaj, Chairman of the Immigration and Immigrants Studies Center, said that Yemen does not have sufficient legal authority to apply this action against Somali refugees in particular
 
He explained that Yemen is a signatory to the 1951 Refugees Convention, which gives the UN High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) the right to be the only party to specify who may claim asylum.
 
Dr. Awaj feels that Yemen follows an open door policy towards the Somali refugees. Therefore, if it wants to change this policy and restrict the ease of the corridors for refugees, then Somalia would need to reexamine its laws and regulations, enabling them to restore the mandate of the UNHCR Office.
 
Awaj added, “I think that this pre-emptive step is illegal.”
 
The Deputy Manager of the coastguard in Aden Gulf, Abdul-Rahman Mousa, said that the coastguard in Aden Gulf sector is ready to implement the decision but there is a need for more equipment. “We are ready, we will be at a level of challenge but we need more equipment and a lot of tools to help us in our duties,” Mousa said.
 
Mousa said the wide and opening water borders made the tasks difficult, hence the need for support to tighten the security process.
 
About the new process, Mousa said that they intensified procedures and security patrol and strengthened the corporation with the fishermen.
 
Furthermore, Yemen is stepping up security measures at the Sana’a international airport, after the al-Qaeda in Arabic Peninsula threatened more attacks on American targets.
 
The country had also come under criticism after a Nigerian allegedly attempted to blow up a US airliner on Christmas Day after it was revealed that the suspect had undergone training in Yemen.
 
“We are not the only country that did something like this. Many countries around the world have tightened security measures in their airports,” said a source at Sana’a Airport.
 
“Our country faces many security obstacles. We have to protect ourselves and our guests who come to visit our beautiful country against those who want to bother us such as al-Qaeda,” the same source said.

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