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Southern Yemen Transitional Council Confirms Not to Retract Autonomy in Aden

April 30, 2020 

Saudi air strike on Al-Hudayida, file, April 29, 2020	Yemeni Transitional Council in Aden declaring autonomy, April 2020 nyt

 

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The following news stories are from the Yemeni independent website Al-Masdar ( http://www.almasdaronline.com/category/42  ):

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STC forces secure Zinjibar despite Abyan’s rejection of self-administration announcement 

 Almasdar Online -  MONDAY, 27 APRIL, 2020 - 11:09 PM

Forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) set up new checkpoints and deployed heavily at the entrances and exits of Zinjibar, the capital of Abyan governorate, less than 48 hours after the STC announced their self-administration of southern governorates.

Residents told Almasdar Online that the Security Belt Forces and units of the UAE-backed Sa'eqa (Thunder) Brigade sent reinforcements to all entrances to Zinjibar, as well as the main roads inside the town. 

At the entrances to the town, residents said they saw STC forces transporting weapons, and noticed new checkpoints in central Zinjibar and along the borders between its neighborhoods. The move by the STC to secure Abyan’s capital comes less than two days after the council’s declaration of self-administration. Government authorities in every governorate except Al-Dhale have rejected the STC’s declaration. 

Edited by Ahlam Mohsen and Casey Coombs

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US-Saudi Aggression’s Daily Update For Wednesday, April 29th, 2020

Al-Msirah Network, 2020-04-30  

News - Yemen

The US-Saudi aggression continues to launch raids and bombardments on a number of governorates, causing damage to public and private property. Meanwhile, it continues to violate the ceasefire in Hodeidah. 

In Sa'adah, US-Saudi aggression launched a raid on Razih district, injuring 3 women and burning a car.  

In Marib, US-Saudi aggression launched 7 raids on Majzr district.  

In Al-Jawf, the aggression launched 4 raids on KhubWaSha'a  

In Hodeidah, US-Saudi forces targeted Kilo 16 with 6 artillery shells and machineguns. 

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The following news stories are from the pro-Houthi website Yemen Extra (http://www.yemenextra.net/):

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At Least 48 Saudi/UAE Violations Of The Truce In Al-Hodeidah, Western Yemeni Coast

April 29, 2020, YemenExtra

The Liaison and Coordination Officers’ Operations Room to monitor violations of the aggression in Al-Hodeidah Governorate recorded 48 violations during the past 24 hours.

A source in the operating room stated that among the violations were 14 breaches using 66 artillery 66 shells as well as 32 breaches consisting of the usage of various firearms. 

UNICEF: Millions Of Yemenis At Risk Of Deadly Diseases

April 29, 2020, YemenExtra

The United Nations Children’s Fund, UNICEF, warned of the growing danger to the lives of five million children under the age of five in Yemen due to the cholera epidemic and severe watery diarrhea, as the frequency of heavy rains increased since the middle of this month.

“The tragedy in Yemen is still unfolding to the world in all its manifestations, and the children of Yemen are still exposed to countless risks that threaten their survival,” said UNICEF Resident Representative in Yemen Sarah Pislo Niyanti in a statement today.

“The widespread prevalence of cholera, high levels of malnutrition, outbreaks vaccine-preventable diseases and the COVID-19 virus pandemic are all causes that may exacerbate the burden already placed on children and their families,” she added.

Niyanti pointed out that without ending the continuous Saudi aggression on Yemen for more than five years, the devastating and preventable diseases will continue to kill the lives of many, especially children.

It is noteworthy that the Saudi American aggression against Yemen, which continued since March 2015, resulted in the deterioration of the economic, living and health conditions in the country.

This took place as a result of the blockade imposed by the forces of aggression on Yemeni ports and the failure to allow the introduction of relief and medical aid, leading to a humanitarian catastrophe.

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NYT: Transitional Council Confirms Not To Retract Autonomy In Aden

April 30, 2020, YemenExtra

The political editor of the New York Times, Declan Walsh, wrote on Tuesday an article in which he highlighted the attempts of Saudi Arabia, which is waging war on Yemen for the sixth year in a row, to get away from this war.

He also covered the dispute taking place between the Emirati-backed transitional council and Saudi militias. The article stated that the Saudi crown prince is attempting to steer away from the devastating war in Yemen, especially after criticism and media reports confirming that Saudi Arabia cannot achieve a military victory in Yemen.

The writer said that the Transitional Council in Aden declaring autonomy early this week and controlling the central bank threatens for new chaos to erupt in the war-torn country.

This comes at a time when the main sponsors of the war, the Saudis and the United Arab Emirates, are trying to get away from the war because of their own issues and the failure to achieve any military victories in Yemen.

The article pointed out that the decline in international funding for humanitarian aid to the country threatened by famine due to the spread of COVID-19 may lead to exacerbating the major crisis which the United Nations described as the worst of its kind.

The writer referred to the United Nations statement on Corona in Yemen on Tuesday, whereas he said that although only one COVID-19 case was detected of a 60-year-old port operator, the risk still exists.

The article reiterated that the declaration of self-rule by the Transitional Council would restore clashes in Aden again, especially after the collapse of the de-escalation last Saturday.

On Saturday, the transitional fighters seized government offices and waved the flag of southern Yemen, the communist country that existed from 1967 to 1990.

Amid coalition appeals to resolve the conflict, UN envoy Griffith joined Yemen to call for de-escalation, especially since Aden and other regions are suffering from flood damage and are facing the threat of COVID-19. Last week, heavy rains in Aden flooded homes and killed at least 14 people.

In the midst of the crisis, a spokesman of the Transitional Council, Nizar Haitham, said they would not back down from their decision, adding: “Southerners have the right to govern themselves and manage their revenues.”

A senior transitional council official also confirmed that the UAE had stopped paying salaries amounting to $400 to $530 a month for its militias since January, while the Saudis had refused to compensate for the shortfall, which has sparked outrage among their ranks.

The writer then mocked the fact that the leadership of the two parties (Transitional Council and the Saudi-backed Hadi forces) was outside the country since Aidarous Al-Zubaidi was in Abu Dhabi and Hadi in Riyadh.

“It appears that the appetite of Prince Mohammed bin Salman, the Crown Prince of Saudi Arabia for the war in Yemen, has diminished, amid global condemnation of Saudi military tactics that have killed thousands of civilians in airstrikes,” the writer continued.

He added, “It is not clear how much control the Saudis or Emiratis exercise over their Yemeni agents.”

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