Hadramout (South24)

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Today, tribal gunmen from Hadramout governorate, South Yemen, headed to the largest oil sectors in the governorate to block oil exports.

Local sources told "South24" that the tribal gunmen led by sheikh Hassan Al-Jabri flocked to the Haro area the adjacent to the Petromasila Oil Company, in Wadi Hadramout.

The sources reported that governorate's locals established checkpoints near the companies operating in the oil sector.

Hassan Al-Jabri, head of the Popular Escalation in Hadramout, accused the Yemeni government for the deterioration of the situation. He called on the people of Hadramout to gather to obtain their rights.

Local media published pictures of the Popular Escalation Committee leadership during their arrangements to close PetroMasila Oil Company tomorrow.

This popular move coincided with a significant increase in petroleum fuel prices in the oil-rich governorate. Today, the liter of oil price reached 1320 riyals.

Sheikh Al-Jabri said that the escalation will be more powerful than before. He added: "The Yemeni government has not responded to us."

Sources in the oil company in the coast of Hadramout told "South24" that "this increase is unofficial, and it can be increased or decreased at any moment."

The sources accused fuel traders in Hadramout of being behind the new rise. It added that they were "taking advantage of the citizens' need."

In protest against this rise, residents of Al-Dis neighborhood, east of Mukalla, parked their vehicles on the main streets. Fishermen in Ash Shihr also announced that they would perform a civil strike.

South24 correspondent in Hadramout expected that demonstrations would start in the governorate in response to the rise in fuel prices.

It is noteworthy that the price of a liter of oil in Hadramout had reached 1,100 riyals on March 6, following a stifling crisis in all petrol stations.

The oil company in Hadramout Coast has not issued any statement regarding the recent increase in fuel prices so far.

Earlier, the company directed the owners of the stations to communicate directly with the merchants. Some considered this a repudiation of the company from its duties.

Hadramout has witnessed a continuous popular escalation since last October. The escalation calls for the implementation of several demands, including the removal of the First Military District forces from the governorate.

The demands also include the liberation of the oil sector in Hadramout from the control of the corrupt figures.

In a related context, today's evening, a mass rally was launched in the city of Seiyun, in the Wadi Hadramout, to demand the removal of the First Military District forces.

The rally called on the Arab Coalition to implement the Riyadh Agreement and send these forces to the battlefronts with the Houthis.

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South24 Center for News and Studies

Photo: Initial pictures of the Hadrami Upraising leadership during the start of the procedures for closing a PetroMasila Company (Activists)