YEMEN: Protest at Socotra Airport Against Privatization and UAE Company Takeover Met with Crackdown by STC Forces

Employees of Socotra Airport staged a protest on Thursday in front of the island's airport, opposing its transfer to a UAE-affiliated company amid concerns over privatization. The protesters denounced the move, which they see as compromising the sovereignty of the facility.

 

The demonstrators held banners rejecting the handover of the airport to Al-Muthalath Al-Sharqi, an Emirati company, emphasizing that the airport is a state-owned institution under the authority of the Yemeni government.

 

The protestors expressed their outrage over the company's assumption of airport management responsibilities, including its authority to replace existing staff with personnel loyal to the firm.

 

In a statement issued during the protest, employees condemned the establishment of the "Socotra Aviation Services Center" under the control of Al-Muthalath Al-Sharqi within the airport premises. They criticized the move as lacking transparency and legal agreements in accordance with the General Authority of Civil Aviation’s regulations, which safeguard employee rights and the airport’s sovereignty.

 

The demonstrators vowed to continue their protests against what they described as decisions infringing on employee rights and the sovereignty of the airport, demanding intervention from the Ministry of Transport and relevant authorities to protect their rights.

 

Meanwhile, human rights sources on the island reported to Al-Mawqe Post that forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which controls the archipelago, violently dispersed the protesters and forcibly removed them from the airport premises.

 

According to government sources cited by Al-Mawqe Post, the UAE conglomerate Al-Muthalath Al-Sharqi, led by Emirati officer Saeed Al-Kaabi, has taken over the airport's management based on directives issued by Yemen’s internationally recognized Minister of Transport, Abdulsalam Hameed, and Socotra Governor Raafat Al-Thaqali—both of whom are affiliated with the STC, which advocates for southern secession and shares power in the government.

 

The sources added that the Emirati company will assume full control of the airport and replace its staff, completing its dominance over all entry points to the island. This follows years of UAE control over Socotra, during which it has taken over seaports and exerted full authority over their management.

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