Emirati officer escapes Socotra Airport after angry protests

SOCOTRA, Feb. 23 (YPA) – An Emirati officer managed to escape from the Yemeni Socotra Archipelago against the backdrop of protests rejecting the handover of the management of Socotra Airport to the UAE-owned Eastern Triangle Holding Company.

Media sources loyal to the coalition forces reported on Saturday that the Emirati officer “Saeed Al Kaabi” who runs the company managed to escape Friday by Socotra Airport to Abu Dhabi after the escalation of the wave of protests organized by the airport’s employees.

The protesters pointed out that the decision to hand over the airport management to the Emirati company came without a clear agreement that guarantees the rights of employees or preserves the sovereignty of the airport, stressing their rejection of foreign interventions that aim to exploit vital Yemeni sovereign facilities.

This came after the Minister of Transport, who is affiliated with the southern Transitional Council in the coalition-backed Aden government, had directed the Socotra Airport to be handed over to the Emirati company based on a proposal from the UAE-backed Island governor, “Raafat Al-Thaqali,” in a blatant violation of Yemeni sovereignty.

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