Mass demonstrations in Yemen against UAE’s militias and plots
Mass demonstrations took place in Lawdar city in Abyan governorate in Yemen today to express support for the legitimate government and rejection of the presence of the militias belonging to the United Arab Emirates and plots that aims to spread chaos and sabotage in the country.
The demonstrators expressed their condemnation of the UAE attempt to monopolize the representation of the south in one political component, in reference to the Southern Transitional Council, backed by the UAE.
They also declared their support for the legitimate government led by President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi. It was also noted that the participants in the march — which came in response to a march organized by the Transitional Council last week — raised the Yemeni flags for the first time in nearly 15 years.
Two days ago, a number of demonstrators were injured when Emirati-backed forces opened fire on them in Al-Maafir District in Taiz Governorate, in western Yemen.
Local sources said at the time that these forces had rebelled against the 35th Armored Brigade of the National Army belonging to President Hadi.
The sources added that the gunmen prevented the demonstrators, who came from more than one area, from reaching Al-Ain, where the pro-Hadi demonstration was supposed to take place to protest against the revolt against President Hadi’s decision to appoint Brigadier Abdul-Rahman Al-Shamsani as commander of the 35th Armored Brigade on the tenth of this month, after its former leader, Adnan Al-Hammadi, was assassinated in early December.
A statement issued by the demonstration called on the Local Authority to extend its control over all areas of Taiz Governorate, including the port of Mokha in the west, which is controlled by Emirati forces, and to reactivate it instead of converting it into a barracks.
The people of the governorate of Taiz renewed last Friday their rejection of the UAE abuse of their country. Activists and the people of Taiz organized a march to condemn what Abu Dhabi is doing through its forces and militias, and demanded the departure of the latter, and called on the legitimate government to end Abu Dhabi’s role within the Saudi-led coalition.
The protesters expressed their refusal of the formation of armed militias outside the official state institutions, including “Republic’s Guards” which was formed by the UAE in the western coast of Yemen led by Tariq Saleh, son of the late President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
It is noteworthy that Yemen has been in war since 2015, after a military coalition led by Riyadh intervened to return the legitimate government to power after the Houthi coup against it. However, the conflict developed in the following years, as another conflict was added to the war between forces belonging to the legitimate government and military forces supported by the UAE in areas west and south of the country.
