Elements of the Transitional Council in the Yemeni governorate of Socotra fired live bullets to prevent a peaceful demonstration, while protests against Saudi forces escalated in the eastern province of Mahra.
Sources told Al-Jazeera that the militants of the UAE-backed Transitional Council in the Socotra archipelago fired live bullets to prevent a peaceful demonstration organized by the people of the "Nojd" region.
The sources pointed out that the STC militants had established a military checkpoint in the "Nojd" area, and its members fired bullets to disperse demonstrators who came to participate in a protest demonstration against the deteriorating conditions in Socotra governorate.
The sources said that the participants held the event nonetheless, and in a statement they demanded the speedy return of the leadership of the local authority, the extension of state authority, and the abolition of armed manifestations and camps outside its scope.
They also demanded that the entry and exit of individuals to Socotra be controlled according to the laws, the return of services and development, the payment of civil and military employees ’salaries, and price controls.
On the other hand, supporters of the Southern Transitional Council organized a protest in front of the port of Socotra, to demand the entry of a ship belonging to Abu Dhabi and unloading its cargo in the port, which is under the protection of Saudi forces.
The Anadolu Agency quoted sources as saying that skirmishes took place between the protesters and the Saudi forces after the latter prevented the STC’s supporters from entering the port, and then the captain of the Emirati ship was allowed to enter the dock without starting to unload its cargo.
On September 13, the Minister of Fisheries in the Yemeni government, Fahd Kavan, accused the UAE of bringing in communications equipment of unknown nature and other equipment "not disclosed", as part of the last cargo of the Emirati ship to Socotra.
A previous demonstration by the people of Mahra (Al-Jazeera)
In the eastern province of Mahra, the peaceful sit-in committee condemned what it described as the ongoing violations and violations of what it called the Saudi occupation.
A spokesman for the committee called on the Yemeni government to break its silence "regarding what the Saudi forces are doing in terms of harming the work of the ports and the customs authority, and establishing military barracks in the border areas," as he put it.
The committee said that these practices burden citizens at border crossings and harm neighboring countries.
It also condemned what it said were kidnappings and arbitrariness by the Emirati forces against Yemeni citizens in Socotra Governorate.
On the other hand, the prominent leader of the Southern Movement, Abdul Rahman Al-Wali, confirmed through his Twitter account, "the loss of hope in the Transitional Council in achieving the aspirations of the southerners."
"We previously said that there is no hope in the (Yemeni) government, as it is hostile to the south (...). We had hope for the transition, but it dissipated," said the governor, who supports the secession of the south.