Aden (South24 Center)

Lieutenant Colonel Kamal Mutlaq Al-Halmi, Commander of the Land Protection and Masterplan Intervention Unit in the capital, Aden, announced his resignation on Monday, April 13.

Al-Halmi attributed his decision to increasing complexities and field challenges that exceed the unit's mandate, citing persistent jurisdictional overlaps and a lack of coordination among authorities managing the land sector.

The resignation was submitted in a memorandum addressed to the Governor of Aden, in which he reviewed the aftermath of the 2015 war, which led to widespread lawlessness in land management, including rampant land grabbing, encroachments, and escalating disputes.

He noted that the Land Protection Unit was established in 2021 to address this reality by forming a specialized security apparatus tasked with implementing judicial and local authority directives to enforce order in this complex file.

Al-Halmi highlighted that the unit achieved what he described as "tangible results" despite scarce resources. These include curbing random land grabbing, executing demolition orders, and helping contain armed conflicts. He added that the unit’s work helped formalize the handling of land issues, reducing friction and enhancing social stability in the capital.

However, he pointed out that field pressures, defamation campaigns, and continued interference in its powers posed significant obstacles, despite the unit’s commitment to working within legal frameworks.

He emphasized that the resignation came after exhausting all efforts and finding it impossible to continue under current conditions, calling for a comprehensive review of the mechanisms governing the land file.

Southern activists expressed concerns that the leadership’s resignation might pave the way for a return to chaos, accusing influential parties of seeking to sideline the unit.

They warned that the absence of this entity could bring land disputes back to the forefront amid the continued absence of a unified authority to regulate this sensitive sector.

The Land Protection Unit was established by an official decree issued by the Governor of Aden, Ahmed Hamed Lamlas, on December 15, 2021, aiming to organize the sector and prevent violations in coordination with relevant judicial and executive bodies.