Ministry of Agriculture Condemns Ban on Fishing in Saudi-Occupied Al-Mahra

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, and Water Resources condemned the unethical practices of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council militia and the Saudi-backed government of mercenaries against fishermen in the occupied Al-Mahra governorate, preventing them from fishing.

In a statement on Tuesday, the ministry explained that it received reports from Al-Mahra fishermen indicating their inability to work during the fishing season due to an arbitrary ban and decision by the so-called Ministry of Interior, the governor of Al-Mahra in the mercenary government, the deputy governor, and the Fisheries Office in Sayhut district.

The ministry considered this decision a blatant violation of fishermen’s rights and a threat to their livelihoods, as fishing is their primary source of income, especially during the fishing season. It warned that preventing them from working will worsen their suffering.

The Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries called on the mercenary government to immediately lift this arbitrary ban and allow fishermen to resume their activities. It demanded an investigation into this violation and accountability for those responsible, affirming its support for Al-Mahra fishermen and their legitimate and just demands.

In 2015, Saudi and Emirati forces entered the city of Aden from Bir Ali, citing the need to repel the “Ansarullah” intervention and “secure international navigation”. It didn’t take long after the arrival of these forces for the new British-style experiment to take shape.

This comes amid escalating anger and popular discontent among citizens in the occupied southern and eastern provinces due to the collapse of the electricity system in many of these provinces. The pro-aggression government has failed to provide the necessary fuel to operate power plants and save citizens from the intense summer heat.

The Saudi-Emirati ambition in Yemen faced a southern awakening, which began on the island of Socotra when thousands protested against turning the island into a dependency of Abu Dhabi. Then came the uprising of the people of Al-Mahra in July, demanding sovereignty over the province and rejecting foreign control over the city. The protests expanded to reach the city of Aden, where the UAE has deployed over thirty thousand local military personnel loyal to them.

Hundreds took to the streets demanding the departure of the “coalition” forces from the south, a situation that analysts have compared to the protests in the 1960s against British presence, which laid the foundation for armed struggle in the south.