A/HRC/42/CRP.1 290. In its 2018 report, the Group of Experts found reasonable grounds to believe that Security Belt forces had committed sexual violence including rape against African migrants and refugees in two areas in Aden: the al-Bureiqa migrant detention facility and the Basateen neighbourhood. 291. After May 2018, the al-Bureiqa migrant detention facility was closed down. The Ministry of Interior and Security Belt forces threatened to detain migrants in new facilities in the future, and did not make any apparent efforts to rectify the issues that led to past violations. 413 There was no reported action until 21 April 2019, when Security Belt forces, on the pretext of national security, restarted the detention of Ethiopian and Eritrean migrants. Between this date and 21 April and 30 May 2019, an estimated 5,000 individuals from Eritrea and Ethiopia were detained in dire conditions in sports stadiums under the control of Security Belt forces. These included men, women, girls and boys. 414 The Group is concerned that if there has been a failure to take any corrective measures for the issues documented at the previous facility for migrants, similar concerns would arise for migrants at the new facility. Investigations into this issue were not completed by the time of finalization of this report. 292. In 2018-2019, the Group of Experts verified two further cases of rape of a woman and of a boy in other areas of Aden. Reliable reports in 2019 suggested that sexual violence from Security Belt forces against the community in Basateen, Mualla, and elsewhere in Aden continued.415 Additionally, Security Belt forces continued to threaten to kill and coerce survivors into not reporting.416 417 418 In total, between 2016 and 2019, Security Belt forces raped at least 18 women, four boys as young as 12-years-old, and one girl, attempted to rape one women and one girl, and kidnapped six women. 293. Reliable sources, including people engaged in working with communities in Aden, as well as individual victims and witnesses, described the ongoing and pervasive aggressive behaviour of Security Belt forces against the population of Basateen neighbourhood and elsewhere in Aden. All noted the impunity with which these forces operate in the area, as well as the omnipresent fear of them amongst residents. 294. Practices described included Security Belt forces entering homes in the middle of the night or picking women up off the street to rape them. This included gang rape, the use of weapons to subdue or rape survivors, and extreme violence such as biting and cutting with knives. Another common practice was kidnapping and raping women, or threatening to, as a way to extort money in the form of hostage taking. In the words of one witness: “the authorities are selling women from our community”.419 (a) Sexual Violence by the 35th Armoured Brigade forces 295. The Group investigated allegations of sexual violence by members of the Yemeni armed forces 35th Armoured Brigade in al-Shamaytayn, Ta’izz governorate. This rural district is bordered by Lahij governorate, with a significant population of displaced persons and “Muhamasheen”.420 The 35th Armoured Brigade controls al-Shamaytayn from a base in the largest town, al-Turbah, and from their headquarters in al-Mokha. The 35th Armoured Brigade was formed from local Resistance forces after the Houthi withdrawal from the area in 2015 and contains forces with a mix of affiliations but who report to the Government.421 413 Confidential Sources on File. Confidential Sources on File. Health of Migrants Held by SLC at Risk (9/5/19) https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20190509-iom-health-of-migrants-held-by-saudi-coalition-inyemen-at-risk MEM. 415 Confidential Sources on File. 416 Confidential Sources on File. 417 Confidential Sources on File. 418 Confidential Sources on File. 419 Husband and brother of survivors of rape. 420 Confidential Sources on File. 421 Confidential Sources on File. 414 68