Photo credit: Official U.S. Navy Page, “USS Barry arriving in Djibouti,” CC BY 2.0.

Gulf of Aden Regional Counterterrorism Forum

Summary

The Gulf of Aden Counterterrorism Forum focuses on the transnational threat posed by al-Shabaab and al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). The primary goal of the Forum is “to build U.S. partner nation capacity to counter al-Shabaab and AQAP by linking law enforcement, justice, and security officials in Yemen with their counterparts in Somalia and Djibouti. The Forum aims to help identify the steps needed to enhance counterterrorism efforts and cooperation in the region and create a lasting dialogue between Somali, Yemeni, and Djiboutian officials.” The forum has met twice to discuss counterterrorism efforts, among other topics.