Aden (South24) 

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A local Human Rights Foundation condemned on Tuesday (September 1) the suppression of a peaceful march in the city of Al-Mukalla, Hadramout Governorate, along with the use of gunfire against participants and the obstruction of their gathering.

The "Human Rights Foundation" stated that firing live ammunition at participants in a peaceful march represents a "serious violation" of the right to assembly and freedom of expression. It noted that security and military forces established checkpoints and deployed heavily at the city’s entrances and exits to prevent citizens from reaching a peaceful popular event.

The foundation added that it received reports of live ammunition being fired around the march participants, including women, calling on the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) and the UN Special Envoy to Yemen to condemn the incident and take action to protect civilians and fundamental freedoms.

The foundation stated that it is monitoring developments, verifying and documenting the information in preparation for referring it to the relevant human rights and legal authorities.

The foundation's statement followed security tensions in Al-Mukalla, coinciding with a grassroots rally called for by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Hadramout to mark the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Southern Army.

Local sources reported that security forces opened fire near the Shibam roundabout to disperse demonstrators and prevent them from reaching the main gathering square, while footage captured by South24 showed gunfire during attempts to disperse the protesters.

On the same day, Aden witnessed a similar popular rally at Al-Aroud Square, with the participation of convoys that arrived from several southern governorates to commemorate the founding anniversary of the Southern Army.

The events in Al-Mukalla come one day after the launch of the "Higher Hadrami Coordination Council," a new political entity headed by Presidential Leadership Council member and Hadramout Governor Salem Ahmed Al-Khanbashi, which enjoys the backing of forces and figures close to Saudi Arabia.

Human Rights Watch (HRW) previously stated that it is monitoring reports regarding the raiding of STC offices in Hadramout, urging authorities to launch an immediate investigation and ensure an end to what it described as the "continuing cycle of repression."