Socotra National Conference rejects declaration of self-rule and holds Presidential Council and government responsible for deteriorating situation

The Socotra National Conference announced, on Monday, its complete rejection of the unilateral steps that were recently announced under the name of "self-rule" on Socotra Island, holding the Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government responsible for the continued state of non-normalization of the military and security situation in the archipelago.

In a statement issued by the Preparatory Committee for the Socotra National Conference, a copy of which was obtained by "Yemeni Youth Net", it confirmed that it had closely followed the developments of the situation in the archipelago, including rising prices, the deterioration of the currency's value, and the worsening political and security conditions, which contribute to threatening social stability in the governorate.

The committee's statement referred to "attempts to drag Socotra into strife and tear apart the social fabric by structuring the tribes for goals that are not beneficial to the future of the island and its people."

The statement stressed its rejection of the "unilateral steps" announced by an entity run by a leader in the Transitional Council who holds Emirati citizenship, which include the declaration of "self-rule", considering that this step does not reflect the Socotra consensus and does not represent the aspirations of the Socotra people.

In its statement, the committee held the Presidential Leadership Council and the government responsible for the continued failure to normalize the situation in Socotra since the events of 2020, pointing to the absence of improving basic services such as providing oil derivatives and gas, in addition to the deterioration of administrative and development conditions and the exclusion of the people of Socotra from active participation in the affairs of the island.

The committee also considered that the absence of the role of the legitimate government in Socotra and the poor supervision of the performance of the local and military authority allowed for tampering with the country's sovereignty and the rights of its citizens, stressing the rejection of the sheikhs and references of Socotra to interfere in tribal affairs and cancel procedures that harm the social fabric, holding the local authority responsible for this, calling for its cancellation.

At the end of the statement, the Socotra National Conference called on political parties and tribal authorities to reject and denounce the declaration of self-rule, expressing its condemnation of the exploitation of citizens’ needs and threatening them with coercion to sign political projects that conflict with their interests.

A statement was issued by the so-called National Council of the Sons of Socotra, which is run by Ali Issa bin Afrar, a leader in the UAE-backed Transitional Council, which announced "self-rule" in the Socotra Archipelago with full powers, which was commented on by the Emirati official close to Mohammed bin Zayed, Abdulkhaleq Abdullah, who described it as a "blessed historic step", according to his claim.

Since the outbreak of the war in Yemen, Emirati activities in Socotra have increased, especially after the Transitional Council forces took control of the island in June 2020 and expelled the local authority, which led to the disruption of the work of state institutions amid the absence and silence of the government.