On Thursday, two Yemeni segments announced their support for the popular protests in the governorates of Aden and Hadramawt (south), condemning the deteriorating living conditions and the collapse of the local currency.
In a statement, the Southern National Coalition (an entity parallel to the Transitional Council) expressed its “full solidarity and absolute support for the peaceful demonstrators in the governorates of Aden and Hadramout in their legitimate demands.”
He considered, “What the situation in Aden and other cities has reached in terms of insecurity, the collapse of the currency, the high cost of living and the deterioration of basic services is an inevitable result of the failure to implement the military and security aspect of the Riyadh Agreement.”
The statement held, “the party obstructing the implementation of the military and security part (meaning the transitional) of the Riyadh Agreement is responsible for the bad situation.” He called for “enabling the government and state institutions to carry out their duties in normalizing the situation, providing services and taking care of the economy.”
In a related context, the head of the Supreme Council of the Southern Revolutionary Movement, “Fouad Rashid”, called on Thursday the leaders and rules of the council to interact with societal issues related to the lives of citizens.
In a statement published by the council’s official account on Facebook, Rashid affirmed, “support for the uprising of the free youth against the deteriorating economic conditions and poor services.”
A few days ago, the governorates of Aden and Hadramout have witnessed angry protests denouncing the deterioration of services and the significant rise in food prices due to the unprecedented deterioration in the history of the Yemeni riyal, where the price of one US dollar exceeded one thousand.
With the decline of the local currency, the suffering of the population exacerbated, and the value of the salaries of many groups reached the equivalent of less than $100.
On November 5, 2019, the Riyadh Agreement was signed between the legitimate government and the Transitional Council, under Saudi sponsorship and UN support, with the aim of resolving differences between the two parties.
Among the most prominent provisions of the agreement is the formation of a 50-50 government between the north and the south, in which the Transitional Council (formed on December 18) will participate, in addition to resolving the military situation in Aden and other areas that witnessed confrontations between the two parties, such as Abyan Governorate (south).
Despite the formation of a 50-50 government on December 18, no significant progress has been made in implementing the military part of the Riyadh Agreement, especially the integration of the army and security forces affiliated with the government and the Transitional Council, under the leadership of the Ministries of Interior and Defense.
The Transitional Council is still in security and military control of the temporary capital, Aden, since August 2019, and the delay in implementing the military part of the Riyadh Agreement has restricted the government’s movement in its temporary headquarters in the city of Aden, according to observers.
