Al-Mukalla, Yemen – Tension and protests erupted at Al-Rayyan International Airport in Al-Mukalla today. This followed an angry sit-in by employees denouncing mass layoffs and new security measures. The measures also stipulated replacing local forces with units from outside the province.
Exclusion and external appointments
The protesters raised banners rejecting what they described as a “systematic policy of exclusion” against local staff. They asserted that the airport administration had abruptly terminated the services of several long-serving employees and appointed new staff from outside Hadramawt Governorate to fill the vacant positions. Furthermore, the Hadrami Elite Forces, who had been responsible for securing the airport, were relieved of their duties and ordered to leave immediately.
Changing the balance of security forces
Eyewitnesses and protesters reported that these measures coincided with the arrival of units from the “Yemeni Emergency Forces” at the airport to assume security duties. The protesters considered this a violation of the security arrangements that the area had previously enjoyed under the supervision of local forces.
Demands and official silence
The protesters demanded the immediate reversal of these decisions and the reinstatement of the dismissed employees. They also warned that these actions would incite public and labor unrest at one of Hadramawt’s most vital facilities. As of the time of this report, neither the local authorities nor the Civil Aviation Authority had issued any official statement clarifying the legal or administrative grounds for the dismissals. Nor had they explained the nature of the agreements that led to the replacement of the airport’s security personnel.
