‘Saudi-Emirati occupation of Yemeni Socotra’, trend goes viral on Twitter

Yemenis and Arabs expressed their anger at the United Arab Emirates’ regime for its militias to occupy Socotra island in eastern Yemen, as part of Abu Dhabi’s plan to divide the country and spread chaos and sabotage.

Activists started the hashtag “#احتلال_سعودي_اماراتي” (#Saudi-Emirati Occupation) to express their anger towards the UAE’s practices in Yemen and Saudi Arabia’s collusion with Abu Dhabi to take control of large areas in Yemen.

Tweeters pointed out that Saudi Arabia and the UAE launched their war on Yemen more than five years ago under the pretext of fighting the Houthis. However, Abu Dhabi and Riyadh have turned into occupiers.

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council today took full control of Socotra Archipelago, after controlling the Special Forces Camp, the last military base of the internationally recognized legitimate government, which did nothing but denouncing “the new armed coup” and demanded Saudi Arabia to intervene urgently.

A local official in Socotra said that the province was completely under the control of the separatists after months of tension, unrest and military buildup. “No fighting took place in the Special Forces Camp. A negotiation took place with its leadership to surrender, which is what actually happened,” he added.

Surrendering the Camp by negotiation was part of a strategy implemented by the Houthis when they first started the coup and invaded Sana’a in late 2014. The Southern Transitional Council appears to repeat the same scenario, especially after publishing footage from within the office of Socotra Governor Ramzi Mahrous, similar to the photos published by the Houthis on the eve of September 21, 2014, from the office of Lieutenant-General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar.

The separatists also took control of the headquarters of the local council of the Qalansia district, which is the second most important district in the archipelago after Hadiboh, where they had a number of camps in the area in the past.

The separatists toppled the Republic of Yemen flags from government headquarters and military bases, and raised the flags of their supposed state “the Arab South”.

While the legitimate authorities could thwart a number of suspicious shipments, some of which carried weapons aboard, controlling the port of Socotra and the airport, the separatists are now able to receive any sea or air trips coming from the UAE, without any government oversight.

Socotra residents fear that the separatists might carry out waves of abuses, or create secret prisons to torture opponents, similar to what they did in Aden and Mukalla, during the past years.

In spite the distress call made by the legitimate government, on Friday evening, te Saudi alliance resorted, through its media, to present “deceptive and illogical” novels, observers indicate.