Marib (South24)

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Following two weeks of armed clashes between local tribes and pro-government forces in the government-controlled parts of Marib Governorate in central Yemen, the tribes succeeded in halting the decision to raise fuel prices for a 28-day period beginning yesterday, according to a source speaking to South24 Center.

The local source said that a series of meetings between Major General Sultan Al-Arada - the Governor of Marib and a member of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) - and tribal leaders in Marib over recent days failed to convince the tribes to accept the new price increase and end their armed rebellion.

However, according to the source, the meetings succeeded in reaching an agreement to halt the increase of prices at gas stations for a period of 28 days, with meetings and discussions set to continue in pursuit of a final agreement.

In a statement to the state-run news agency Saba yesterday, an official source from the Marib authorities confirmed that Governor Sultan Al-Arada is personally sponsoring the new measures. The funding covers the differences between the old price of a 20-liter can of gasoline (3,500 Yemeni rials/$2.30 USD) and the recently introduced government price (9,750 Yemeni rials/$6.50 USD).

The source told Saba: “There were several meetings held with tribal sheikhs and notables [..], which emphasized the implementation of the government decision regarding the price increase, the agreement to lift gatherings, and the formation of a committee regarding what the clashes have caused since December 17, 2023.”

Related: Clashes around Safer oil facility in Marib 

“The PLC member, Governor of Marib, Major General Sultan Al-Arada, committed to the difference between the old and new prices for a period of twenty-eight days for the private stations in the governorate, in the interest of everyone.”

Fuel prices in Marib are the lowest throughout Yemen, with the price of a 20-liter can of gasoline in the capital, Aden, and other governorates within the government’s jurisdiction reaching 26,000 Yemeni rials ($17.3 USD), including the oil-rich areas of South Yemen.

Recent clashes between tribes and pro-government forces in the vicinity of the Safer oil facility in Marib have left several dead and wounded on both sides.

Meanwhile, tensions have been high at the Al-Uqla oil field in the Usylan district of Shabwa Governorate, South Yemen, after Austrian oil company OMV announced they would be laying off many Shabwa security employees – a decision rejected by the tribes. 

Related: Tension in Al-Uqla oil field in Shabwa