Shabwa (South24) 

Thousands demonstrated in several districts of Shabwa governorate, South Yemen, on Wednesday, some of which were subjected to a security "crackdown" and arrests, according to local sources and eyewitnesses.

The demonstrators, who raised the flag of the former state of South Yemen, demanded the departure of the pro-Islamist forces (the Islah Party) from the governorate, and demanded the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, which the government signed with the STC in November 2019.

On Tuesday, the security committee in Shabwa, headed by the governor, Mohammed Saleh bin Adyo, threatened to use "force" against what it considered "calls for chaos" by the STC.

Military vehicles of the pro-Islah forces stationed in several areas in the district of Radhum, Mayfa’a and Ataq to suppress the demonstrators (activists)

Security forces mobilized early with the start of the demonstrations in different areas of the governorate, and the 21st Mika Brigade was deployed in the city of Ataq, the administrative center of Shabwa, in an attempt to confront the peaceful demonstrators.

Despite the violent repression, the people of Shabwa were able to go out in massive peaceful rallies in Saieed Shabwa, Huda area in Habban district, and in Nisab, Dahr, Radhum, Mayfa` and Asilan districts.

The demonstrators chanted slogans against the Yemeni government and the "Muslim Brotherhood", while renewing their support for the STC, which is widely popular there.

Human rights activists and local sources told "South24" that the pro-Islah Special Forces arrested several opposition activists, in the areas of Al-Rawda and Gol Al-Raydah in Mayfa'a, including the Vice President of the STC in Mayfa'a District, Saleh Huda Badian, and 8 others. I also assaulted the social figure Abdullah Hussein Al-Hamid with rifles, and then took him wounded to the detention center.

An armed force also stormed the headquarters of the STC in the Radhum district, according to a the STC official who spoke to "South24". The military forces, most of whom belong to North Yemen, destroyed the banners from the STC's headquarters in the Radhum district, after storming the building.

Both the STC and the Yemeni government have been locked in an ongoing conflict since 2019 in the oil-rich province, which the STC considers part of the state of South Yemen, which it is struggling to establish.

Shabwa is the last stronghold of the internationally recognized Yemeni government, after it became its only stronghold in North in the Houthis' range of fire.

Together, these events came in conjunction with a field advance by the Houthi group in the Beihan district, adjacent to Al-Bayda governorate, in which it took control of a number of areas, including Wadi al-Nahr, al-Rukab, al-Wasil and al-Badi, after the withdrawal of pro-government forces from their positions, according to military sources.

The Houthis launched a second military attack on the al-Somaa district in al-Bayda governorate, and took control of most of the areas in it.

It should be noted that, during the past two days, angry protests also took place in Aden and Mukalla, the largest cities in South Yemen, denouncing the deterioration of services and the collapse of the local currency, and criticizing the Yemeni government in Riyadh. 

South24 Center for Studies and Analysis

Photo: Today's demonstrations in Shabwa (Local activists)