UNESCO investigates UAE violations in Socotra Archipelago

SOCOTRA, May 08 (YPA) – The UAE dispatched a high-level committee to the Socotra Archipelago on Wednesday, following the arrival of a UNESCO mission to investigate environmental and military violations in the nature reserve, which has been a World Heritage Site since 2008.

Sources familiar with the matter said the UNESCO mission’s visit came as a result of reports of the deterioration of the island’s unique biodiversity, located east of the Gulf of Aden. The island has been subjected to systematic destruction since Emirati forces took control of it in 2017, threatening to remove it from the World Heritage List.

The sources explained that the mission had observed serious violations, including the establishment of military facilities and unfair investment projects that had led to the destruction of rare natural resources on the island.

The pro-UAE governor of Socotra, Raafat al-Thaqali, cut short his vacation in Abu Dhabi and returned to the island days after leaving, in an attempt to contain the damage and justify the catastrophic situation.

The sources added that the UAE has formed a high-level committee from the so-called “Emirati Diwan” to visit Socotra, a move was described as aimed at containing the disastrous remarks made by the UNESCO committee regarding biodiversity.

They pointed out that the UAE’s security and military authorities had prevented the UNESCO mission from accessing sensitive areas, restricting its movements to specific locations in an attempt to restrict the committee’s operations.

These developments came after the UAE began stealing numerous rare trees, animals, and birds and transporting them to its own territories.

Environmental organizations have warned that Socotra will lose its global standing if the UAE’s violations against the island continue.

AA