UAE forces tie Socotra’s telecommunications to Abu Dhabi systems

SOCOTRA, Oct. 21 (YPA) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) has taken full control of the telecommunications sector in the strategic Socotra Archipelago, located east of the Gulf of Aden — a move widely seen as a serious incursion, raising concerns about its implications for Yemeni national sovereignty.

According to informed sources, Emirati forces stationed on the island have set up private communication networks directly linked to Abu Dhabi, following an escalatory move in which technicians from the Yemeni Ministry of Telecommunications in the government loyal to Saudi-led coalition were barred from accessing key operational sites on the island.

The sources added that this systematic restriction effectively led to the shutdown of the national telecom networks, which have now been replaced entirely by Emirati-operated systems. As a result, Yemeni communication services are reportedly unavailable in most parts of the archipelago.

Residents in Socotra now rely exclusively on SIM cards and networks managed by UAE-based companies, signaling a complete Emirati grip over the archipelago’s vital information infrastructure.

The UAE’s growing control over telecommunications infrastructure in Socotra has triggered serious concerns about digital surveillance and the potential monitoring of calls and data within the province.

According to observers, the move is seen as part of a UAE plan to distance Socotra from Yemeni sovereignty and integrate it administratively and technologically into a broader Israeli military agenda.

This development comes amid continued silence of the pro-coalition Yemeni government, which has yet to issue a clear response to these blatant violations of Yemen’s sovereignty—raising questions about possible complicity or inability to act as the plan progresses.

@E.Y.M