President of Presidential Leadership Council Chairs Emergency Meeting of National Defense Council

  Riyadh

His Excellency Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council, the Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, chaired an emergency meeting of the National Defense Council today Friday, attended by members of the Presidential Leadership Council: Sheikh Sultan Al-Aradah, Dr. Abdullah Al-Alimi, and Sheikh Othman Mujalli.

The meeting was also attended by Sheikh Sultan Al-Barakani, Speaker of the House of Representatives, Salem Saleh Bin Bureik, Prime Minister, Dr. Ahmed Bin Dagher, Chairman of the Shura Council, the deputy speakers of the House and the Shura Councils, members of the Consultation and Reconciliation Commission, and members of the National Defense Council including ministers and heads of military and security agencies. Mr. Salem Al-Khanbashi, Governor of Hadhramaut was also present.

The meeting focused on the situation in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra governorates in light of unilateral measures and military escalation by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), and the serious repercussions for security and stability in Yemen and the region.

The Council reviewed reports on recent developments in the eastern governorates, including grave violations against civilians accompanying the STC’s military movements in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, culminating in attacks in recent hours in Wadi Nahb in Hadhramaut. These actions were described as a clear violation of mediation efforts led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates aimed at de-escalation and restoring the situation to its previous state.

The Council considered the continued escalation since the beginning of the current month to constitute a blatant breach of the transitional framework, including the Declaration on the Transfer of Power and the Riyadh Agreement. It further described this escalation as an act of rebellion against legitimate state institutions and an undermining of the mediation efforts led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

The Council affirmed its full support for the mediation efforts led by Saudi Arabia to achieve calm and reduce escalation. It called on the STC to begin implementing the necessary arrangements to redeploy its forces to their previous positions outside Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra, and to hand over camps within the two governorates to the National Shield Forces and local authorities in an orderly manner under the supervision of Coalition forces.

The Council commended the efforts of the local leaderships in Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra and their honorable positions in prioritizing the interests, security, and stability of the two governorates.

The National Defense Council approved a number of measures and actions necessary to protect civilians, safeguard the legal status of the state, and enforce its authority at all political, security, economic, and administrative levels.