Aden (South24 Center)

The United Nations Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, arrived in Aden on Monday, April 6. His office said the visit is part of his “ongoing engagement” within Yemen and across the region to advance a Yemeni-led political process. It marks his first visit to the city this year and comes amid escalating protests and rising security tensions across South Yemen.

The visit coincides with mounting unrest in Hadramout, particularly in the city of Mukalla, where anger has intensified following the killing of at least two protesters and the injury of four others on Saturday, April 4. Local sources and media reports said security and military forces opened fire to disperse a peaceful demonstration supported by the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

Local authorities, however, said the events occurred during “unlicensed gatherings,” alleging that “infiltrating elements” had fired at security and military personnel. Authorities in Hadramout later announced the launch of an urgent investigation into the Mukalla incidents.

Meanwhile, arrest warrants were issued against local STC leaders in Hadramout on charges of inciting protests. The STC described the events in Mukalla as “bloody repression” of a peaceful demonstration, holding the governor of Hadramout and the participating forces directly responsible for the gunfire.

The Council added that a wide-scale arrest campaign followed the protest, targeting participants and supporters in Mukalla. Local sources told South24 that detainees include educators, journalists, and activists.

The fallout from the events has extended beyond Hadramout. Thousands of protesters took to the streets on Tuesday in Dhalea, Shabwa, Lahj, and Abyan in solidarity with the people of Hadramout, condemning what they described as violations by security forces.

Earlier, on April 1, Mukalla witnessed political tensions when protesters disrupted a pro-Saudi solidarity event organized by local authorities and figures aligned with Riyadh. The incident underscored growing polarization in Hadramout between Southern actors and Saudi-backed authorities.

Grundberg’s arrival also comes at a highly sensitive regional moment. On March 29, the UN envoy expressed “grave concern” over the decision by Ansar Allah (the Houthis) to engage in the regional conflict by launching attacks on Israel, warning that such actions could draw Yemen deeper into a wider war and undermine prospects for peace.

In his briefings to the UN Security Council in February and March, Grundberg stressed that Yemen must not be pulled into broader regional confrontation, cautioning that limited gains on the ground remain fragile without a comprehensive political settlement.

The visit also carries added sensitivity following major shifts in the Southern landscape since last December. At that time, the STC, backed by the United Arab Emirates, took control of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, triggering a sharp crisis with Saudi Arabia.

Saudi-backed forces later regained control over most of those areas earlier this year through a military campaign supported by intensive airstrikes against Southern Armed Forces, forcing their withdrawal toward Aden.

While the envoy’s office has not yet released full details of his meetings in Aden, the timing of the visit places him at the center of one of the most volatile periods in Yemen since years.