Seiyun (South24)

Tens of thousands of residents of the Southern governorate of Hadramout demonstrated Friday to demand the expelling of Northern forces from the Wadi and Sahara.

Hadrami Citizens gathered in the historic Palace Square in Seiyun at downtown of Seiyun in Wadi Hadramout on Friday afternoon, raising South Yemen’s flag during what they called the "Salvation Million".

This demonstration coincides with Southerners' celebrations with the 59th anniversary of the October 14th Revolution, which broke out in 1963 against British colonialism.

South24 correspondent said that the protesters chanted for the establishment of an independent Southern state and renewed their calls for the PLC to quickly push for the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, signed in November 2019, and to expel the 1st Military Region forces.

For several weeks, popular peaceful protests have continued in the cities of Wadi Hadramout, such as Al Qatn, Tarim, and Seiyun, calling for expelling forces affiliated with the Islah Party and former Vice-President Ali Mohsen Al-Ahamr.

Protesters accuse the 1st Military Region forces of "occupying" their land in order to control oil wells.

Salim Ahmed from Seiyun told "South24" that "the people in Hadramout said their word today peacefully that the Northern forces should leave our land."

Head of Hadramout’s Popular Escalation Committee, Sheikh Hassan al-Jabri, said: "Masses in Seiyun demand the liberation of Wadi Hadramout".

Speaking to large audiences through the festival's podium, Al Jabri added   " PLC must resolve its position towards the peaceful liberation of Wadi Hadramout before we resort to another option." He added.

Protesters raised flags of the former South Yemen State and shouted slogans asserting that Hadramout is still part and parcel of historic South Yemen.

A statement issued by the event said that "the masses are committed by "authorizing Aidrous Al-Zubaidi to lead the Southern people until the restoration of the Southern State" and also expressed "total rejection towards the continuous presence of the 1st Military Region forces in Wadi and Sahara of Hadramout''. The statement called to replace them with "Hadrami’s Elite Forces."

Unusually, this protest did not face any military or security repression by the 1st Military Region forces, but “South24”'s correspondent said that the Internet had been stopped for a few moments in the city before it was back in service again.

Yesterday, PLC’ Member and STC Chairman Aidaruos Zubaidi said that STC looks forward to "cleansing Wadi Hadramout and Al-Mahra".  He demanded the quick repositioning of military forces in these two cities to confront the Houthis "in implementing the contents of the Riyadh Agreement."

STC seeks to expand its control over the entire pre-1990 geography of South Yemen weeks after its forces secured Abyan and Shabwa.

Northern parties and the Islah party accuse STC of seeking to divide Yemen with the support of the UAE, while North Yemen is under the control of Iran-backed Houthis.

These developments coincide with the failure of international efforts to extend the United Nations truce in Yemen and renew limited confrontations on some fronts in the governorates of Dhale, Taiz, Marib, and Al-Jawf.

On Thursday, UN envoy Hans Grundberg expressed his regret that the Houthis had submitted "additional demands that could not be met".