A ceasefire framework has been signed between authorities in Yemen's largest province, Hadhramaut, and the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance, following Saudi mediation. The deal was reported by the Yemeni outlet Al Mashhad News.
The agreement was signed on the evening of December 3 in the provincial capital of Mukalla by Hadhramaut Governor Salem Ahmed al-Khanbashi and his deputy, Alliance Chairman Amr bin Habrish. A Saudi delegation had arrived in the city just before the signing. The 13-point framework calls for an immediate halt to fighting, a lasting silence of weapons to pave the way for a final settlement and steps to lower tensions.
Under the terms, the Hadhramaut Protection Forces, loyal to bin Habrish, must withdraw one kilometer from oil installations operated by the PetroMasila company by 08:00 local time on December 4 (Moscow time). The deal also allows company staff to return to work and resumes operations. Security for the oil facilities will be handed over to a joint force that includes tribal representatives.
The announcement comes a day after the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which controls much of southern Yemen, including large parts of Hadhramaut, launched what it called a “security restoration operation.” The STC said the aim was to “end the exploitation of the region by forces foreign to the valley and province,” claiming the area had become a smuggling hub for the Houthis and a breeding ground for extremist groups such as Islamic State and Al-Qaeda (both banned in Russia).
The UAE-based The National reported that the STC’s move targeted the uprising by the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance, whose forces seized control of the region's oil fields last week while demanding greater oversight and a larger share of energy revenues. Earlier, Al Jazeera cited sources saying STC fighters had clashed with government troops, entering the city of Seiyun and taking over several government buildings and the airport.
Yemen has been locked in conflict since 2014, when the Houthi movement seized the capital Sanaa. The war escalated in March 2015 when a Saudi-led coalition intervened in support of the internationally recognized government. In April 2020, President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi handed executive powers to a Presidential Leadership Council, which includes representatives from the STC.
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Photo: Jialiang Gao/Creative Commons 3.0
Based on materials from TASS