UAE is pushing its militias in Yemen to escalate against the legitimate government

The ruling regime in the UAE has pushed its militias in Yemen to escalate against the legitimate government, despite intense efforts by the United Nations to strengthen the ceasefire in the country in light of the Coronavirus crisis.

The UAE-backed “Southern Transitional Council” threatened that the outbreak of war with the legitimate Yemeni government is imminent, with tension escalating between the two sides days ago due to the failure of the Riyadh agreement sponsored by Saudi Arabia.

The Council stated that it had informed the ambassadors of the major countries to Yemen and the UN envoy Martin Griffiths that “the outbreak of war is imminent and there has been a real departure from the possibility of reaching a sustainable political agreement because of these moves and violations by the government.”

The statement pointed out that the UAE allies explained to international officials “the nature of the recent moves by the Yemeni government to target the liberated southern provinces as they represent a public threat to the armistice and peace efforts.”

The past days have witnessed an unprecedented escalation in the governorate of Abyan, where the separatists backed by the UAE pushed hundreds of elements and armored vehicles to the governorate of Abyan, in response to what they said were reinforcements of the legitimacy in the Shakra region.

The Council accuses the government forces of seeking to invade Aden, which is totally under their control, and repeat the scenario of last August, during which the invasion stopped in the Al-Alam region, at the entrances to the temporary capital, after targeting Emirati planes of the National Army, killing more than 60 soldiers.

Fears of a new battle are increasing, with the failure of calm efforts led by soldiers who have been accepted by both sides and have been seeking to defuse the upcoming battle.

The legitimate government demands the Council to enable it to exercise its functions in the police administration of the governorate of Abyan, while the Council requires the withdrawal of the national army and presidential protection from the Shakra region towards Shabwa governorate, which the government rejects.

Two days ago, Yemeni government forces recognized the departure of Socotra airport from their control, after the rebellion of three battalions in the 1st Marine Brigade, and their support for the Council.

In a memo, the leadership of the 1st Brigade, Marine Corps of the legitimate government in Socotra, declared that it was not responsible for any explosion of the brigade’s warehouses, and that it was not safe to fly to and from Socotra.

The statement warned the residents living in the Morey area and its neighboring villages on the island, that Socotra airport and the central warehouses to arm the brigade were out of control, due to the rebellion of the battalions charged with guarding the stores and securing the airport from the western side.

The leadership of the 1st Brigade, Marine Corps, confirmed that it was responsible for any warehouse explosion, as well as the insecurity of flying to and from Socotra.

During the past few days, the UAE allies have worked to inflame the situation on the island, following the restoration of the forces loyal to the legacy Special Forces camp in the city of Hadibu, after about eight weeks of the control of the UAE allies on it.

The Council claimed that a fourth battalion had declared its loyalty to it, but sources confirmed that what happened in Qalansiyah is that one of the soldiers lowered the flag of the Republic of Yemen and raised the flags of the separatists backed by the emirates as a slogan for their supposed country that they are calling for secession from North Yemen, Before being imprisoned.

The source pointed out that the process did not last for more than five minutes, and that its purpose was to take pictures with the aim of fanning conditions on the island only.

Despite the efforts made by Saudi forces stationed on the island to contain the situation, a local source expected that the matter would develop into an armed clash between the legitimate government and the allies of the Emirates, especially with the first brigade Marine infantry keen to restore the brigades.

The source stressed that all the battalions that rebelled are completely isolated, because the city is in the hands of the legitimate government forces and at the disposal of the governor, and all the military points of the city’s entrances belong to the legitimacy, which are the security forces, military police, coastal defense and the air force.

Socotra witnesses, from time to time, attempts to control vital facilities implemented by gunmen supported by the Emirates, in addition to rebellions of battalions in government forces and join forces with the Southern Transitional Council, which demands the secession of southern Yemen from the north.