News - Yemen: Shabwa Governor Awad al-Awlaki stated that recent developments in the provinces of Mahrah and Hadhramawt represent a renewed effort to redraw territorial divisions in line with the direct interests of the US-Israeli enemy, distancing these actions from the agendas of Saudi Arabia and the UAE.

In a statement, al-Awlaki said that the STC’s takeover of Hadhramawt Valley and strategic sites in Mahrah is designed to pave the way for Zionist influence in southern Yemen through the UAE as its proxy. He argued that the moves aim to distract Sana’a’s forces from preparing for the next phase of confrontation with the Israeli occupation and its regional partners.

He added that the factions in the region are attempting to hand over southern ports, vital facilities, and oil sectors directly to the Israeli enemy, imposing a new reality aligned with the requirements of upcoming military and political stages. Al-Awlaki described this as the clearest evidence yet of what he called “the depth of collaboration and mercenarism that the STC militias have reached.”

The governor also criticized the Islah Party, saying its forces “were never defenders of Yemeni unity,” but rather obstacles to it, and that their current appeals to unity come only after they lost influence and Saudi Arabia—long opposed to Yemeni unity—abandoned them.

Al-Awlaki affirmed that Yemen remains resistant to American and Israeli enemy schemes, and capable of setting the boundaries of confrontation in line with national interests, defending its sovereignty, independence, and unity through the resolve of its leadership and people.

He noted that the shrinking of Saudi influence in Hadhramawt has taken place under directives from the US and the Israeli enemy as part of an effort to redistribute power and interests in Yemen—pressure he said is aimed at forcing Sana’a to accept a peace roadmap aligned with American and Zionist priorities. Sana’a, he added, is fully aware of these plans and is preparing for all scenarios.

Al-Awlaki warned that the most dangerous project threatening the Arab region is the secession plan allegedly pursued by the UAE and its allied militias in the service of the Zionist, American, and British interests. He stressed that Abu Dhabi is moving openly to impose a new reality that guarantees foreign interests at the expense of the Yemeni people.

He added that the killings, abuses, and violations committed by STC forces against residents of Hadhramawt, Mahrah, and other parts of Yemen “will not be forgotten,” and that those responsible will one day be held accountable.

The Shabwa governor reaffirmed that Yemenis in both the north and south are capable of defending national unity through all available means, and that popular mobilization will ultimately expel occupying forces and their local proxies. He said the people of the southern and eastern provinces have endured severe suffering under foreign-backed militias and are now more aware of the “malicious objectives” of the Saudi-UAE coalition and its local agents.

Tensions have escalated in Yemen’s eastern provinces as UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces expand control over key areas in Hadhramaut and Mahrah. Analysts view these movements as part of a broader geopolitical struggle involving regional and international powers seeking influence over Yemen’s strategic coasts, ports, and energy corridors.