Mukalla, Hadramout (South24 Center)

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 The Security Committee of Hadramout Governorate warned on Wednesday (April 16) against any military recruitment outside official state institutions, and condemned attempts by certain parties to "usurp" the state's role in the governorate.

The warning came during a meeting chaired by Hadramout Governor Mabkhout Mubarak bin Madi, which discussed the security situation amid what the committee described as attempts to establish irregular armed checkpoints and recruitment activities outside the jurisdiction of the Ministries of Defense and Interior.

In a statement, the committee asserted that any party forming parallel structures to state institutions will be held accountable, and those involved will be referred to military prosecution. It announced an awareness campaign titled ’Military Service is Patriotism, Not for Sale‘to warn the youth against joining armed groups operating outside the state authority, alongside conducting intensified security patrols across several districts.

The committee accused unnamed parties of undermining state authority and exploiting security and economic conditions for personal gain and noted that some unauthorized checkpoints have engaged in extortion and illegal taxation under the guise of security operations.

It called on the political leadership and the Saudi-led Coalition to take a clear stance against these movements, which it said contributes to tensions and expands the influence of paramilitary groups as well as individuals with existing security warrants.

The committee also denied allegations by the Hadramout Inclusive Conference, the political wing of the Hadramout Tribal Alliance led by Sheikh Amr bin Habrish, which in a statement accused the committee of colluding with armed groups and bringing in external elements.

Military brigade commanders stationed at the Hadramout Coast entrances attended the meeting and categorically refuted these claims. The committee questioned the legal standing of the Hadramout Inclusive Conference, pointing to its 20-member presidency and demanded to know whether the statement was unanimously approved by everyone.

On Tuesday, the Hadramout Inclusive Conference claimed that “2,500 armed individuals” had entered the Hadramout Coast from the Transitional Council-controlled governorates of Aden, Lahj, and Al-Dhale.

Background

The Hadramout Inclusive Conference, established in 2017 as the political arm of Bin Habrish’s tribal alliance, has in recent days escalated its demands for autonomy. Bin Habrish visited Saudi Arabia in late March where he met Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman and other officials. In December 2024, Bin Habrish announced the formation of the ’Hadramout Protection Forces'—an armed group whose existence and numbers remain unverified but which official authorities view as a threat.

Bin Habrish’s Riyadh visit came in the aftermath of the March 24 Al-Uyoon meeting of the Hadramout Tribal Alliance which saw several founding members vote to remove Bin Habrish from the alliance's leadership, accusing him of monopolizing the decision-making process.

After his return from Saudi Arabia, the Hadramout Tribal Alliance held a meeting on April 12 in the desert area of Hadramout Plateau, where they demanded that Saudi Arabia take urgent steps to support an autonomy project for Hadramout.