In Pictures: UAE takes dangerous measures to consolidate its control over Socotra

SOCOTRA, Jul.02 (YPA) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) along with its key partner in the ally in the coalition war on Yemen, is pursuing its efforts to extend its influence on the Socotra archipelago, where the UAE has begun to implement new measures as part of its series of attempts to take full control over the Yemeni archipelago.

The UAE moves and steps aimed at changing the demographic and geographical map of the island have raised Yemeni fears that this could lead to the imposition of a different reality on the Island, in which would eliminate its association with Yemen.

Demographic Change of Island

Media sources told Yemen Press Agency  (YPA) on  Friday, that the UAE has carried out a large-scale registration of the Socotra residents to recruit them in the UAE police. The recruits must  leave the island with his family.

On May 22, Yemen’s official Newspaper “Al-Thawra” quoted local residents on the island as saying that the UAE was seeking to change the identity of the island and reduce the presence of Yemenis there in a systematic manner.  It has raised the UAE flag on government and official buildings on the island.

Yemeni workers were prevented from entering the island except with work stay permits. Moreover, sources revealed that Emirati-backed militias had set up an office in Socotra to register Yemeni workers from outside the island with their full data, grant them work permits on the island, and treat them as foreigners despite their Yemeni nationality.

The UAE has brought in  foreign workers from Bengal to Socotra island under the cover of reconstruction.

Displacement in Exchange for the Emiratis Settlement

The sources revealed that Saudi forces are practically supervising the displacement of the island’s population in the face of the influx of hundreds of Emirati families into the archipelago.

According to the sources, Saudi forces were overseeing the departure of hundreds of Socotra families to the Saudi city of Dammam.

YPA has obtained some pictures showing Saudi soldiers shipping the bags of the departing residents and loading them to aircraft, as if they are very concerned about the Socotra’s citizens.

The sources confirmed that the Government of Abu Dhabi gives 100,000 dirhams for any  Emirati who going to stay for a period of time in Socotra.

Media Promotion

According to the sources, the UAE has made attractive offers to European media professionals and photographers who are in the UAE to travel to Socotra in order to make  the island’s tourism promotion for the Island and its Stunning landscape.

The sources added that the UAE has asked the media to confirm that Socotra has become Emirati.

E.M