Mukalla (South24 Center)

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On Sunday (October 5), the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Hadramout Governorate accused the local authority of entering into "non-transparent" agreements related to resource management and petroleum products.

The accusation came in an official statement, coinciding with leaks about a meeting between the head of the Hadramout Tribal Alliance, affiliated with Sheikh Amr bin Habrish, and the local authority. The leaks referred to understandings concerning oil revenues. However, South24 Center has been unable to independently verify the details.

In an official statement, the STC declared that it "condemns the ongoing attempts by the local authority to conclude agreements aimed at legitimizing corruption and sharing interests among its parties at the expense of the rights and suffering of the people of Hadramout."

It added that "any agreement that subjects local decision-making to blackmail by influential forces or is used to entrench corruption is rejected in its entirety."

The statement clarified that the people of Hadramout "have become victims of an ongoing conflict of interest among the wings of the authority for over a year."

The Council affirmed its "adherence to the right of the people of the governorate to manage their resources with transparency and justice, away from networks of interest and influence," calling for "uniting ranks behind a national project that reflects the will of the people of Hadramout and preserves their wealth and dignity."

The Council noted that its leadership discussed "violations by both poles of the local authority in selling subsidized diesel at high prices," along with "fabricated crises that have increased the suffering of citizens in both the Wadi and Coastal regions of Hadramout."

It emphasized "rejecting any agreement that subjects local decision-making to blackmail by influential forces or perpetuates tampering with the governorate's wealth."

The statement also announced the organization of a public event in the city of Shibam, Wadi Hadramout, to mark the 61st anniversary of the October 14 Revolution—a move reflecting the growing popular and political presence of the STC in the Wadi regions.

These developments highlight escalating tensions between the STC and the local authority amid complexities in the economic and service sectors, particularly following the recent fuel crisis that caused power plant failures and widespread outages.

 Read more at: Power Crisis Sparks Protests and Political Tensions in Hadramout

Prior to the recent rapprochement between Bin Habrish and the local authority, the Hadramout Tribal Alliance — affiliated with Bin Habrish — had repeatedly voiced strong criticism of the authority’s performance.

Conversely, social committees supported by the authority have accused the tribal alliance of being behind the disruption of fuel supplies to power stations in Coastal Hadramout.

Read more at: Political Escalation in Hadramout Amid Accusations Against Bin Habrish Alliance