Barran Press
On Saturday, September 7, 2024, the city of Zinjibar in Abyan Governorate (Southern Yemen) witnessed a massive demonstration demanding the revelation of the fate of abducted Major Ali Ashal Al-Ja'dani, who disappeared in Aden on June 12th.
Thousands of Abyan residents gathered in the city square, arriving from various districts and regions of the governorate for the "million-man" demonstration.
According to a "Barran Press" correspondent, protesters chanted slogans demanding justice for Abyan, fair representation in power and wealth sharing, and an end to the marginalization and exclusion the governorate faces.
The demonstration's statement called for the disclosure of Major Al-Ja'dani's whereabouts and the release of those forcibly disappeared, demanding the arrest and prosecution of the perpetrators. The statement condemned these crimes that poison the public sphere.
The statement highlighted the timing of the demonstration, stating that it occurred "in difficult circumstances, with complex challenges, continued exclusion and marginalization, targeting of the governorate, disruption of civilian life, militarization of public affairs, repression, and attempts to drag Abyan into armed conflict, deliberately labeling it violent in a systematic effort to discredit it."
The statement emphasized that the demonstration in Zinjibar, the administrative capital of Abyan, with the participation of all the governorate's residents, is a "escalatory step that will be followed by further actions until justice prevails, terrorism stops, Abyan receives its full rights, and fairness is achieved."
While calling for the disclosure of Major Al-Ja'dani's fate and the release of those forcibly disappeared, the statement reiterated the rejection of politicizing human rights issues, diverting them from their course, and exploiting them for private interests and suspicious agendas.
The statement also demanded the cessation of levies and taxes collected from Abyan's checkpoints to Aden, urging their remittance to the governorate. It called for the provision of essential services, development projects, and infrastructure, as well as partnership and justice in power and wealth sharing as the basis for national action. It stressed the need to give Abyan its rightful representation in all branches of government, including executive, security, military, and diplomatic.
The Abyan protesters' statement gave armed forces and formations not belonging to the governorate a 30-day deadline to withdraw and hand over camps, locations, and security checkpoints to alternative forces from Abyan. It demanded the provision of all necessary funding, resources, and supplies for these forces. If this does not happen before the deadline, the protesters will escalate their actions by launching open camps and sit-ins until the withdrawal of external forces from the governorate.
Furthermore, the protesters demanded the reinstatement of civilians and military personnel dismissed from their positions, the settlement of their cases, enabling them to return to their jobs, and compensation for the damage they suffered.
The statement set a one-week deadline for the immediate cessation of targeting Abyan's businesspeople. If this does not occur within the specified time, the protesters will escalate their actions by blocking the international road that passes through the governorate, with the mechanism to be revealed at the appropriate time.
The statement condemned terrorism and violence in all its forms and manifestations, which have harmed the governorate by using it as a stage for terrorist operations and settling scores on its land. It acknowledged the governorate's reputation for its civil work and peaceful struggle.
The statement called on the Presidential Leadership Council and the internationally recognized government to protect human rights by ensuring the safety of all citizens and revealing the circumstances surrounding cases of enforced disappearance.
It also called for holding accountable those involved in violations that clash with international humanitarian law, the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, and all relevant conventions and customary law.
The statement demanded the activation of the committee formed to investigate the case of abducted Major Ali Ashal, the release of those abducted and forcibly disappeared, the closure of illegal prisons and detention centers, and the activation of law enforcement and judicial authorities to assume their responsibilities.
The statement also urged human rights organizations, media outlets, and activists to advocate for victims of violations, particularly Major Ali Ashal, to achieve justice and expose the entities behind them, their financiers, and the criminal hands that carry them out.
The demonstration's statement concluded by urging the governorate's residents to unite their ranks, end internal differences and direct all efforts towards securing Abyan's rights and stopping the systematic targeting of its people. It expressed gratitude for the public support, declared the continuation of the open sit-in with representation from all districts, and called on everyone to remain vigilant and prepared for escalation until Abyan receives justice and its rightful demands are met.