A military deployment has been reported on the coastal road connecting the governorates of Hadhramaut and Shabwah (eastern Yemen) on Friday, September 6, 2024. This comes just a day after the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance established an armed checkpoint on the main road west of Mukalla.

Sources told "Barran Press" that a military force belonging to the 2nd Marine Infantry Brigade, stationed in the "Balhaf" area, arrived from Shabwah and set up a checkpoint on the coastal road connecting "Balhaf" in Shabwah to Mukalla in Hadhramaut, intending to secure the road.

The 2nd Marine Infantry Brigade's checkpoint is located within the geographical and administrative boundaries of Shabwah, bordering Hadhramaut, and is approximately 3 kilometers from the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance's position. According to sources, it was established under the field supervision of Brigadier General Ali Abu Bakr Al-Misab Al-Sulaiman.

Brigadier General Al-Sulaiman, commander of the 2nd Marine Infantry Brigade, stated that this move is part of the brigade's security and military plans in the Radhum district of Shabwah.

Meanwhile, the Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance announced the establishment of a protest tent on Friday evening for residents of the "Al-Ddis Al-Sharqyah" district east of Mukalla. This is a new escalation tactic to pressure the Presidential Leadership Council and the government to meet their demands.

On Thursday, the alliance set up an armed tribal checkpoint on the main coastal road west of Mukalla, aiming to prevent the export of Hadhramaut's resources, as stated in their declaration. This is an escalation against the presidency and government to meet their demands, which include a share of the governorate's wealth and inclusion in power.

The Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance began its escalation following a meeting on July 31, 2024, coinciding with the second visit of the President of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, to the governorate, which holds oil wealth.

During the meeting, the alliance demanded a "share" for the governorate's residents from the oil reserves in the "Al-Dhabba" port and the "Al-Masila" oil field, as well as a genuine partnership in power. They gave the Presidential Leadership Council and the government a 48-hour deadline to respond to their demands.

The following day, hundreds of citizens gathered in front of the Riyan Airport gate in Mukalla, demanding a share of the oil reserves in the "Al-Dhabba" port and the "Al-Masila" oil field, improving conditions, and lowering prices.

On August 2, Hadhramaut tribes gathered in tribal areas in response to the call of the governorate's tribal alliance to prevent oil exports until the Presidential Leadership Council and the government meet the demands of the governorate's residents.

On August 8, tribes from western Hadhramaut established checkpoints in the "Al-Abr" area, near the international road connecting Yemen and Saudi Arabia, in response to the "Hadhramaut Tribal Alliance" call for escalation against the recognized Yemeni government to demand the rights of the governorate's residents.

On Thursday, "Barran Press" published a video graphic report exploring the escalating tensions in the strategic governorate and the local and regional forces behind them.

Through an investigation conducted by "Barran Press," we obtained confirmed information indicating that the recent tensions in Hadhramaut are due to conflicts between the local authority represented by Governor Mabkhout bin Madi and the head of the Hadhramaut Conference and the tribal alliance, Amro bin Habrish, according to the report.

The Hadhramaut Conference, established at the invitation of the tribal alliance and with the participation of political and social components in 2017, presents itself as the representative of Hadhramaut. It demands participation as an active partner in the upcoming political settlement and advocates for self-governance as an independent region.

The information provided by "Barran Press" in the report indicates that bin Habrish, in May 2023, moved to ally with Mahra tribes led by Sheikh Ali Salem Al-Harizi, a prominent opponent of the Saudi military presence in Mahra governorate.

The information obtained by the website from informed tribal and political sources confirms that "Al-Harizi opened a direct line of communication between the Muscat team and bin Habrish, and the latter began recruiting individuals and tribal figures for training in Al-Harizi's camp in Mahra."

At the peak of the Saudi-Omani dispute in Mahra, the report states that "the Omanis sought indirect intervention in Hadhramaut's affairs and to occupy Saudi Arabia by funding local agents, most notably bin Habrish, whose mission is to disrupt the situation in the governorate," according to sources.

For over two years, support has been provided to "bin Habrish" personally. However, sources say that he has recently raised the level of his relationships to coordinate with a member of the Presidential Leadership Council and Deputy Head of the Southern Transitional Council, Faraj Al-Bahsani, who conditioned his funding on working against President Rashad Al-Alimi.