Seiyun (South24 Center)

A tribal consultative meeting was held on Saturday (December 20) in the city of Seiyun in Wadi Hadramout, to renew support for the movements of the Southern Armed Forces to secure the areas of the wadi and the desert, amid ongoing security developments in the governorate.

Sheikhs and dignitaries from Wadi and Desert Hadramout participated in the meeting, where attendees discussed the latest security developments, according to the South24 correspondent.

The concluding statement stressed that “Hadramout is a unified geographical and historical region that cannot be defined by one group, component, or person”. It added: “We value the role of the Southern forces in liberating Wadi Hadramout from terrorism and affirm the necessity of their presence to ensure that chaos forces do not return.”

The statement called for extending the control of the Hadrami Elite Forces over the entire territory of the governorate. It warned that Hadramout’s security is a red line and that any armed presence outside its regular forces constitutes a threat to social peace.

The statement further added: “Hadramout is the South and the South is Hadramout, and we demand the declaration of the Arab South State.” It also praised the role of the Arab Coalition in supporting stability and assisting the Southern forces and the Hadrami Elite.

During the meeting, Ali Abdullah Al-Kathiri, President of the National Assembly of the Southern Transitional Council, said that the coming stage represents a pivotal moment in the history of Hadramout and the South, witnessing the important political and security changes taking place. Al-Kathiri called for Hadrami unity, rejection of disputes, and solidarity to ensure the success of efforts to secure the wadi and the desert.

In a related context, the Hadramout Tribes Alliance inaugurated its headquarters on Saturday in the city of Mukalla, coinciding with the twelfth anniversary of the Alliance’s establishment and the launch of the Hadrami popular uprising.

The inauguration was attended by Sheikh Khalid Al-Kathiri, who was appointed as the Alliance’s President on November 29, following a tribal decision to dismiss Sheikh Amr bin Habrish, amid accusations of altering the Alliance’s course and causing security and political tensions in Hadramout’s coast.

Despite his dismissal, Sheikh Amr bin Habrish has continued to hold meetings with his supporters, the latest of which was held today (Dec 20) in Ghayl Bawazir District, following recent tensions in Hadramout’s plateau after clashes between his loyal gunmen and the Southern Armed Forces, subsequent to storming sites belonging to PetroMasila Oil Company.

These developments come in conjunction with the ongoing observance of mass sit-ins since early December in Aden, Mukalla, and Seiyun, in addition to other cities in Shabwa, Lahj, and Dhalea governorates, demanding the declaration of the independence of South Yemen and showing support for the Southern Armed Forces.

In the same context, Southern communities abroad are organizing simultaneous events to support independence, restore the South State, and back the armed forces, with protest vigils held in London, New York, Geneva, and Berlin.

On December 3, Southern forces entered Seiyun and took control of the headquarters of the First Military Region as part of “Operation Promising Future”, which also extended to the neighboring Al-Mahra governorate.

Currently, the Southern Transitional Council controls almost completely the geography of the State of South Yemen as it was before Yemeni unification in 1990.