The Transitional Council in Aden and the suppression of the hungry.. How does it deal with those angry about the deterioration of living conditions?

The forces of the Transitional Council, backed by the UAE, are leading a campaign of repression and arrests in the interim capital, Aden, against young people who carried out protests denouncing the collapse of the currency and the deterioration of living conditions, as protests have escalated in recent days.

The living conditions of citizens have worsened over the past two years, with the Yemeni riyal falling against foreign currencies, with the dollar price exceeding the 2,300 riyal barrier, one of the reasons for which is the halt in oil exports due to the terrorist Houthi militia attacks on export ports.

Aden is witnessing angry protests for the second week in a row, extending to the governorates of Abyan, Lahj and Al Dhale, against the backdrop of power outages, unprecedented deterioration in services and the collapse of the purchasing power of the riyal, in light of the government’s inability and failure to pay employees’ salaries and implement any solutions.

However, these protests were subjected to campaigns of repression and kidnapping of protesters and activists, and various charges were fabricated against them, such as carrying out acts of sabotage and undermining security and stability. They were met with widespread societal condemnation and rejection, amid warnings that the state of repression against the demonstrators would be reflected, and would transform from demonstrations demanding rights into an uprising against the Transitional Council, which imposes de facto authority over the city.

Transitional and evasion of responsibility

At a time when the Transitional Council imposes itself as a de facto authority over the city of Aden and a number of governorates, it evades responsibility towards citizens, while controlling all government resources from taxes and royalties, which do not return to the accounts of the legitimate government.

Journalist Ahmed Maher commented, saying, “The Transitional Council did not provide people with public services and did not even allow them to demonstrate and express their opinions. He believes that demonstrations and expression of opinion are limited to the Transitional Council and its supporters only.”

He added in an interview with "Yemeni Youth Net", "The Transitional Council is evading its responsibility towards the people, even though it has the power controlling the ground in Aden and the rest of the southern governorates," noting that "the legitimate government is supposed to be present on the ground and follow up on the people's problems and suffering."

The Transitional Council evades responsibility for the citizens’ demands and the tragic conditions they are experiencing as a result of the deterioration of living conditions and the collapse of the currency, and holds the government and the Presidential Council - in which it participates - responsible while preventing them from exercising their role in the state institutions.

Maher considered that "everyone has abandoned their responsibilities and believes that they have nothing to do with the issue of services, as the government justifies that the Transitional Council did not allow it to return and exercise its authority, while the Transitional Council holds the government responsible and in the end it is the people who suffer."

The journalist, who was released from the Transitional Council’s prisons after two and a half years because of his political views, said, “The suppression of demonstrators who came out demanding their legitimate rights is unfortunate, and a flagrant violation of freedom of opinion, expression, and peaceful demonstration.”

Suppression of protests in Aden

The Transitional Council mobilized its forces to suppress the protesters in the directorates of the interim capital, Aden, which witnessed the exit of hundreds of young people in Al-Buraika, Al-Mansoura, and Khormaksar, and fabricated various charges against the protesters, claiming that they were destabilizing security and describing them as infiltrators by Transitional Council activists.

Human rights activist and lawyer Huda Al-Sarari considered that “suppressing protests, especially those related to citizens’ rights to express their opinions, is a violation of the basic rights guaranteed by international human rights law.”

She added in an interview with "Yemeni Youth Net", "Peaceful protests are a legal and legitimate means to demand change or protest against government policies or unfair economic or social conditions."

“Suppressing protests using force can lead to a deterioration in social and political conditions, and may reinforce feelings of rejection and anger in society, making it difficult to achieve stability and peace,” Al-Sarari said.

It called on the recognized government and the de facto authorities in Aden (the Transitional Council) to adhere to human rights standards in dealing with demonstrators, and to investigate any cases of violence against demonstrators and hold those responsible accountable to ensure justice and equality in dealing with citizens.

“Whatever the reasons behind these protests in Aden, the government and de facto authorities must adhere to human rights standards in dealing with demonstrators, and avoid excessive use of force,” said the head of the Defense for Rights and Freedoms Foundation.

Warnings of adverse results

Activists, journalists and politicians have warned of the consequences that could backfire against the Transitional Council due to the campaign of arrests and repression against the demonstrations, which could turn from protests demanding basic services into protests against the Transitional Council itself.

Journalist close to the STC, Majid Al-Shaibi, called for accommodating the protesters. He warned, "Otherwise, the results will be disastrous and the only loser will be Aden and the achievements it has made in the past periods."

He said in a post on Facebook: “The angry street must be contained and listened to, and any detainees detained for peaceful demonstrations must be released, before the fireball expands to include all the southern governorates,” warning the Transitional Council against “confronting the fireball that has been burning for days.”

Al-Shaibi considered that "underestimating the people and their just demands will cause many problems, and power is not the solution," noting that "correcting mistakes and holding the government accountable for all its shortcomings is the right thing to do, but exporting the scene in Aden as being against the Transitional Council is an attempt to create bigger problems," he said.

For his part, media figure Adel Al-Yafei commented: “People are dying defending the south on all the country’s borders from the Houthi invasion, and people in Aden are looting, taking positions and lands, and building their wealth at a terrifying speed.”

He added - in a post on Facebook - "The incubator is crushed (the people of Aden) and has reached below the poverty line, and yet they are suppressed if they go out screaming from pain and lack of need, and they are accused of old, rotten charges that have proven to be a disastrous failure."

Al-Yafei said, "Demonizing the people and increasing their suffering by oppressing them and putting them in prisons means the inevitable beginning of our downfall, and the first of them is the Transitional Council, the bearer of our cause," calling for addressing the matter and saving "what can be saved before the major catastrophe that I see looming on the horizon."