Hadramout Tribal Alliance forms first military brigade

HADRAMOUT, June 29 (YPA) – The head of the Hadramout Tribal Alliance, Amr bin Habrish—affiliated with Saudi Arabia—issued a decision on Sunday to form what is called the “First Hadramout Protection Brigade,” showing the province’s move toward independence from the Presidential Leadership Council and the government that claims legitimacy in the region.

The decision described the head of the alliance, “Sheikh Al-Ali’i,” as the “Supreme Commander of the Hadramout Protection Forces,” noting that the formation of the brigade came in implementation of the decisions made by the “Hadramout Tribes Alliance” at the end of 2024.

According to the decision, seen by the agency, “Al-Juwaid Salmeen Ali Ba Rasheed ” was appointed as the commander of the brigade, “Aman Khamis Aman Al-Habshi” as the brigade’s chief of staff, and “Saleh Hameed Omar Al-Ali’i” as head of operations.

The alliance is moving toward recruiting around 30,000 young men from the tribes affiliated with it, following its declaration of self-administration for Hadramout in April, distancing itself from the dominance and exclusion by pro-coalition components within the “Leadership Council” and the government.

At the beginning of July 2024, the Tribes Alliance began organizing tribal sit-ins in the Hadramout Plateau in the Ghayl Bin Yamin district, calling for genuine political inclusion of the province’s native population and sustainable development funded by the region’s natural resource revenues.

Fighters from the alliance seized control of the Masila oil fields and went on to establish positions and checkpoints at the entrances of Mukalla city and in coastal districts, which have been under the control of UAE-backed factions since 2016.

@E.Y.M