Senior security official joins protests in Al-Shihr, Hadramout

HADRAMOUT, Aug. 04 (YPA) – A number of security officers and soldiers loyal to the Saudi-led coalition joined ongoing mass protests in the coastal district of Al-Shihr in Yemen’s eastern Hadramout province on Sunday, demanding better living conditions and public services.

Video footage circulated by local activists on social media showed crowds of demonstrators rallying in the streets of Al-Shihr for the eighth consecutive day. Among them was Al-Shihr’s district security chief, Khaled Al-Jamhi, accompanied by several police and emergency force recruits.

Protesters confirmed that the demonstrations will continue until their demands are met, including improved public services, an end to what they describe as the looting of local resources, and the establishment of self-rule for the province.

The Saudi-backed government has remained largely unresponsive since the protests began last week, despite widespread calls for the dismissal of Hadramout’s governor, Mabkhot bin Madi, who has been residing in the Saudi capital Riyadh for five months.

Meanwhile, Political forces and components of the province, called on the Saudi-led coalition and its loyal government to expedite the construction of a 500-megawatt power plant and recruit 40,000 young people to quell the escalating protests in the oil-rich province.

The political bloc, led by Saleh Salem Al-Ameri, emphasized in a statement issued Saturday that ignoring previous demands has exacerbated the suffering of the population, warning of a popular uprising that threatens social peace.

@E.Y.M