Hadramout (South24) 

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On Friday, tens of thousands of people gathered in Hadramout, the biggest governorate in South Yemen, in response to a call by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to commemorate the anniversary of the "Homeland Day".

In six main cities in Hadramout, massive crowds deployed in squares that were previously familiar to the Southern Movement (Hirak). They raised South Yemen flags and photos of the STC leaders.

Tens of thousands of men, women and children took to the streets in Hadramout's capital, Mukalla, as well as the cities of Seiyun, Qatan, Shihr, Tarim and Ghayl Bawazir.

In Seiyun, the biggest city of Wadi Hadramout, people who participated in the events were shot by gunmen in the Sultan Al-Kathiri Palace Square.

According to the STC in Hadramout, the shootings injured 5 persons. Photos showed blood spots in the Faaliya Square and an old man's dress.

A video documented the moment when masked gunmen in plainclothes stormed the Sultan Al-Kathiri Palace Square in Seiyun amid roars of angry crowds.

South24's reporter in Seiyun said that "intensified shooting lasted for half an hour in an attempt to intimidate crowds and drive them out of the Seiyun Palace Square".

Despite the shooting, participants succeeded in holding the mass event in Seiyun. Moreover, the events' political statement was delivered in the "Freedom Square" in Mukalla.

The statement warned of a "malignant conspiracy" adding that the Yemeni national unity forces are behind this to regain control of the coast of Hadramout like the valley and the desert.

It added: "We warn those who seek to pave the space again to the forces of the black July 7" in an indication to the Northern forces that won the 1994 War against South Yemen.

The statement urged STC President, Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, to "reassess the feasibility of the participation in the parity government that has failed to improve services".

It also asked Saudi Arabia and the UAE to "take the will and aspirations of the South people into account while drawing the map of their interests".

The statement stressed the need to drive out the forces of the 1st Military District whose most elements are Northerners. It called to deploy the Hadrami Elite forces instead.

During his speech in the Mukalla Square, Brigadier General Saeed Al-Mohammadi, President of STC in Hadramout, criticized the leadership of local authorities in the governorate.

Al-Mohamadi said: "We are sorry that the local authorities ignore the attempts of the enemy to control Wadi Hadramout".

He criticized the new Saudi-backed Hadrami political entity (Hadramout National Council) which was formed in Riyadh.

Read more: Hadramout in the Forefront: A New Council and Vague Political Project

The STC in Hadramout previously warned of the presence of Northern forces in the Presidential Palace in Mukalla and demanded their immediate exit.

Shooting the peaceful mass event in Seiyun has been met with wide reactions.

STC Vice President Major General Ahmed Saeed bin Break said: "We strongly condemn shooting citizens in Seiyun. We will heavily retaliate".

The leadership of the Hadrami Uprising said: "The Islah forces shed the blood of Hadramis".

Local authorities in Hadramout announced the establishment of a fact-finding committee regarding the shooting in the Seiyun Palace Square.

Deputy Head of the Consultation and Reconciliation Commission Akram Al-Amiri said: "We condemn targeting an STC's event in Seiyun by armed elements. This is aggression on Hadramout's civilization and peacefulness".

The media office said Amer Saeed Al-Amiri, "the Governorste's Deputy Head for the Valley and Desert Affairs" formed a committee at instructions of Governor Mabkhout bin Madi.

These developments came after the formation of the HNC in Saudi Arabia and a visit by Rashad Al-Alimi to Hadramout accompanied by figures close to the kingdom, and amid the political aspirations of Yemeni forces to divide the local community and stir internal disputes among its components.

Annually on July 6, Southerners commemorate the "Homeland Day" which is the anniversary of invading Aden and South Yemen by Northern forces supported by Jihadist groups in 1994.

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