Shabwa, Yemen – The local leadership of the Southern Transitional Council in Shabwa Governorate issued a strongly worded statement condemning the storming of a mass rally in Ataq city by security and military forces, and their demolition of the platform erected for the commemoration of “Southern Martyrs’ Day.” In its statement issued Wednesday, the Council considered these actions a “flagrant violation of rights and freedoms and a blatant attack on the right to peaceful expression,” warning that targeting a national occasion that embodies the sacrifices of martyrs is “a direct affront to the conscience of the people of the South.”
Escalation threatens social peace
The statement held those who ordered the raid fully politically and legally responsible for the consequences of what it described as “repressive practices,” noting that these actions constitute a dangerous precedent that threatens social peace and opens the door wide to further tensions in the governorate. The Shabwa Transitional Council stated that the security measures would not prevent them from commemorating the anniversary, and that the event would proceed as scheduled. It emphasized that the event was entirely peaceful and carried no provocative or threatening nature to security and stability. The Council stressed that adherence to peaceful means was essential to thwart attempts at provocation and to prevent the governorate from descending into chaos.
Call for a public rally
In closing, the local leadership of the council called on the people of Shabwa to rally and actively participate in honoring the sacrifices of the martyrs and renewing their national pledge, while emphasizing the need for restraint and denying any opportunity to those seeking to undermine the province’s security. This development on the ground further complicates the situation in the provincial capital, Ataq, which is witnessing sharp security and political tensions between the local authorities and security forces on one side, and the Southern Transitional Council on the other, regarding the right to control the city, raise flags, and hold political events.
