Barran Press
On Wednesday, July 3, 2024, armed forces stormed the office of the Ministry of Youth and Sports in Hadhramaut Governorate, handing it over to a new director appointed by the governor, "Mubkhut bin Madi," in violation of the law.
"Barran Press" obtained a memo from the Director General of the Ministry of Youth and Sports office in Hadhramaut Wadi and Desert, "Riyadh al-Juhauri," addressed to the Minister of Youth and Sports, "Naif al-Bakri," complaining about the raid, being prevented from entering the office, and exercising his legal duties.
"Al-Juhauri" stated in the document that upon arriving at the office on Wednesday morning, they were surprised to find military vehicles at the entrance gate, inspecting every vehicle entering, preventing the director general from entering and performing his duties.
He added that their offices were stormed and handed over to the individual appointed by the governor with the force of security, following instructions from the deputy governor of Hadhramaut for Wadi and Desert affairs, "Amer al-Amari," who conducted the handover at his residence on Tuesday afternoon and announced it to the public.
"Al-Juhauri" emphasized that as state officials and to preserve the public interest, they avoided confrontation and reported the incident to the minister for his consideration and appropriate action.
"Barran Press" obtained images showing vehicles and security and military personnel deployed at the entrances and surroundings of the Ministry of Youth and Sports office in Hadhramaut on Wednesday morning.
Commenting on the incident, a source at the Ministry of Youth and Sports, who requested anonymity as they were not authorized to speak to the media, stated that the governor's decision to appoint a new director for the ministry's office in Hadhramaut is illegal as it falls outside the governor's authority.
The source added that the governor should have submitted a nomination to the Minister of Youth and Sports, who would then issue the appointment order. They considered the storming of the office and imposing a new director a violation of the law and a departure from institutional and administrative practices.
On July 1, 2024, the governor of Hadhramaut, "Mubkhut bin Madi," issued decision number "42" of 2024, appointing "Majdi Suleiman Matran bin Talib" as the Director General of the Ministry of Youth and Sports office in Wadi and Desert.
He also issued decision number "43" of 2024, appointing "Riyadh al-Juhauri" as an advisor to the governor of Hadhramaut for youth affairs, according to local media reports.
The following day, local news outlets reported that the deputy governor of Hadhramaut for Wadi and Desert affairs, "Amer al-Amari," met with the newly appointed director, to discuss the handover process. However, "al-Juhauri" denied this in his memo to the Minister of Youth and Sports.
On July 2, 2024, the Minister of Youth and Sports directed the governor of Hadhramaut to deposit the revenues of the Youth and Sports Care Fund into the central account in the temporary capital, Aden, according to a memo obtained by "Barran Press."
The document revealed further violations by the governor of Hadhramaut, including interference in the Minister of Youth and Sports' authority and violating previous agreements with the ministry.
The memo stated that the governor instructed the Director General of Finance to transfer the funds collected from the khat tax, which belong to the fund, into the local authority's account instead of the central account. The governor also instructed the deputy governor for Wadi and Desert affairs to deposit the khat tax revenues into the local authority's account and pay the dues of sports clubs and federations through the deputy governor, following his instructions dated June 12, 2024. This constitutes a breach of previous agreements.
One of the most serious accusations involves the governor's directive to register the Jawas Stadium in the name of Sayun Sports Club, despite a previous memorandum from the ministry outlining the proper procedures. The ministry argues that this action contradicts both ministry regulations and the Prime Minister's Resolution No. (204) of 2002, which protects the lands and property of the Ministry of Youth and Sports.
The ministry has demanded that the governor rectify the situation by transferring all fees from the Youth and Youth Welfare Fund to the fund's designated account at the Central Bank in Aden.
"Barran Press" attempted to contact the governor of Hadhramaut for comment on the accusations and the storming incident, but received no response.
The incident echoes a similar event in December 2020, when forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council stormed the Ministry of Youth and Sports office on the coast of Hadhramaut. Employees were threatened, and the office director was threatened with "physical liquidation" for supporting the Yemeni Football Association's decision to form a temporary committee to manage the Hadhramaut Coast branch of the Game Federation.
At the time, employees appealed to the Ministry of Youth and the local authority for support, condemning the arbitrary actions and their potential harm to Hadhramaut's reputation for security and peace.