Hadramaut Marks 9th Coast Liberation Anniversary in 'Hadramout First' Million-Person Rally Event that Backs the Elite Forces

Al-Mukalla, the downtown of Hadhramaut Governorate, was thronged on Thursday evening with hundreds of thousands of Hadramout residents from various districts gathering in a massive million-person rally event themed "Hadramaut First," commemorating the ninth anniversary of the liberation of Hadramaut's Coast from al-Qaeda on April 24, 2016, and affirming their full support for the Hadrami Elite Forces (HEFs).

During the event, Major General Ahmed Saeed ben Brik, Vice President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), delivered a speech, conveying the greetings of President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the STC, to the people of Hadhramaut. He emphasized that this year would be decisive after a full decade of unrelenting struggle and that there would be no leniency in preserving the hard-won gains of the HEFs. He further asserted that Hadhramaut now faces new challenges and shifting international dynamics, with certain parties attempting to reintroduce chaos into the governorate, despite the security and stability it has enjoyed since its Coast was liberated from terrorism in 2016.

Maj. Gen. Ben Brik, during the event attended by Mr. Ali Al-Kathiri, Chairman of the National Assembly; Mr. Fadi Baoum, member of the STC's Presidium; Mr. Mohammed Abdulmalik Al-Zubaidi, head of the Assistant Local Leadership Executive Body (LLEB) of Hadhramaut Valley and Desert; Mr. Mujahid Bin Afrar, head of Almahra LLEB; and Sheikh Lahmar Ali Laswad, head of Shabwa LLEB, expressed profound gratitude to the Arab Coalition, led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, for their unwavering support to the HEFs. He also paid tribute to the families of the blessed martyrs and the wounded, who made immense sacrifices for Hadramaut and its stability.

Major General Bin Brik delivered three key messages during his address. The first message was directed to the Arab Coalition, in which he pointed out that despite Hadramaut’s vast resources, it continues to suffer from deteriorating basic services, particularly electricity. He called for increased support to improve living conditions and public services in the governorate, in line with the provisions of Chapter VII of relevant agreements. In his second message to the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), he stated that more than two years have passed without any tangible results, necessitating a re-evaluation of performance. He underscored the importance of empowering competent and proactive individuals capable of meeting citizens' aspirations. The third message is to those seeking to bring back terrorist groups like Al-Qaeda and ISIS to Hadhramaut, saying, "Enough, I beg you for the sake of Hadramaut! We will never ever accept it to be turned again into an arena for terrorism and destruction."

Ben Brik lauded the role of the HEFs, which will continue their deployment across Hadhramaut’s Valley and Desert. He affirmed that Hadhramaut will never compromise the ultimate sacrifices of its heroes and is now fully qualified to serve as the nucleus of the forthcoming State of the South, given its wealth of well-qualified professionals and brilliant minds that have made their mark on the world.

In concluding his speech, Maj. Gen. Ben Brik called on all tribal sheikhs, like Sheikh Amr bin Habrish, as well as all segments and components of Hadhrami society, to unite and coalesce around the Hadramaut project to safeguard the governorate's dignity, rights, and the future of its residents.

Brigadier General Saeed Ahmed Al-Mohammadi, head of the LLEB of the STC in Hadhramaut, confirmed that the HEFs emerged from the epic of the liberation of Hadhramaut’s Coast and represented the most significant military and security achievement in the governorate’s contemporary history. Their fighting doctrine is rooted in Hadramout authenticity, and through their relentless efforts, numerous security accomplishments have been fulfilled in the coastal districts of Hadramaut, which, due to their deployment, have completely become secure.

Al-Mohammadi expressed his firm rejection of all forces seeking to diminish the role of the HEFs or bypass them by creating new military formations aimed at sowing discord and conflict and undermining political and social life. He asserted that Hadramaut is too vast to be reduced to a single individual or to have its representation monopolized by one tribe.

Al-Mohammadi pointed out that the STC's project aims to establish a federal state, which would grant governorates full authority to manage their own affairs and entail transferring the First Military Region's forces from the Valley areas and replacing them with the HEFs. He issued a stern warning to those lying in wait for Hadramaut and its Elite Forces, as well as to certain components and parties against persisting in personal disputes and differences in viewpoints, as the only beneficiaries of escalating discord among the people of Hadramaut are those who plunder its wealth and resources.

In her address representing women's voices, Ms. Ausan Bahussein articulated a dual perspective: expressing profound pride in the HEFs and underscoring the crucial role of Hadhrami women in achieving victory and liberation, drawing upon their rich history of struggles and heroic roles as the mothers of the heroes and the widows of the blessed martyrs, embodying the archetype of resilient womanhood. In her concluding remarks, Bahussein saluted the HEFs for their crucial role in maintaining security and stability and making Hadhramaut’s Coast a paradigm to be emulated.

It is worth noting that the event highlighted the imperative of empowering the people of Hadhramaut to manage their governorate’s security and military affairs without external interference. Furthermore, it emphasized that Hadhramaut must be prioritized in any upcoming political settlements to safeguard its citizens’ rights while respecting its unique historical and geographical specificity.

The massive rally event held at Al-Hurriyah (Freedom) Square in the heart of Al-Mukalla and commencing with the national anthem of the South also featured poetic recitations and the honoring of a number of wounded liberation fighters. The crowds raised the flags of the state of South and repeated chants in support of the HEFs, recognizing them as the security force that has achieved tangible successes in maintaining security and stability since the liberation of the Coast. In addition to that, the million-person rally event concluded with the reading of the final statement by Mr. Abdullah Baweiz, head of the Media Committee.