UAE moves to separate Socotra from Yemen

SOCOTRA, May 15 (YPA) – Local sources revealed objectives of visit conducted by the minister of agriculture and fisheries loyal to Saudi-led coalition to the occupied island of Socotra, Yemen Press Agency reported, citing local source.

According to the source, the minister Salem Abdullah Al-Soqotri is seeking to activate the so-called “Dixam Agreement” and activate it under the direction of the Riyadh-backed  Presidential Council to lease Socotra island to the UAE.

The sources confirmed that al-Soqotri carried out a campaign to collect the signatures of sheikhs and dignitaries on the island in coordination with the UAE intelligence representative Khalfan al-Mazroui, in addition to taking approval from government offices under the control of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC)’s militia.

The sources explained that he provided huge amounts of money to all those who agree to separate Socotra island from its Yemeni surroundings.

The sources attributed the raid on the house of Sheikh Saad Abdullah al-Farajhi last week in the district of Qulansiyah due to his positions in  rejecting the removal of the Yemeni island from the motherland, and the removal of the flag of the Republic of Yemen from the house of Al-Farajhi.

The UAE took control of Socotra island at the end of October 2016 under the name of humanitarian aid, under the “Dixam Reserve Agreement”  signed by Salem Abdullah al-Soqotri, who was governor of  Socotra and the UAE intelligence, in the presence of Khaled Bahah, to lease the island and turn it into the “jewel of the Middle East”, according to UAE claims at the time.

E.M