Socotra Governor seizes equipment and vehicles belonging to the General Authority for Environmental Protection

The governor of Socotra Governorate, loyal to the STC, Raafat Al-Thaqali, seized equipment and vehicles belonging to the General Authority for Environmental Protection, Socotra branch, and refused to return them.

An informed source told "Yemeni Youth Net" that the governor of Socotra, Al-Thaqali, visited the headquarters of the General Authority for Environmental Protection branch on the island a few days ago, and asked the branch manager to hand over all assets belonging to the authority.

The source explained that Al-Thaqali seized equipment and three four-wheel drive vehicles belonging to the Integrated Support Program for Conservation and Sustainable Development in Socotra and Aden, funded by the Global Environment Fund at a cost of $5 million, which was scheduled to be implemented during the current year.

The source confirmed that Governor Al-Thaqali refused to return the equipment and vehicles for the project despite the official letters addressed to him, and told them: “The Environment Authority has ended and there is no such thing as the environment.”

The acting head of the General Authority for Environmental Protection, Faisal Al-Tha’labi, had sent a message to the director of the authority’s branch on the island, not to hand over the project equipment to the local authority in Socotra Governorate.

Al-Tha’labi stressed in his letter that the equipment is specifically designed to run the Authority’s branch and to preserve and protect the archipelago as a world heritage site, holding the branch director responsible for preserving the project’s properties and assets.

The Minister of Water and Environment, Tawfiq Al-Sharjabi, addressed the governor, saying: “It would be inappropriate to dispose of the project’s assets, which would embarrass us and the local authority before international funding bodies.”

Al-Sharjabi concluded his message: “We hope that you will reconsider this decision and kindly keep the project materials and equipment at the Environmental Protection Authority branch in the archipelago, which is ultimately in your view and under your supervision, as it is within the framework of the province.”