Prominent Tribal Sheikh in Al-Wazi’a to Yemen Monitor: We Demand Tarek Saleh Withdraw His Forces from the Villages
Yemen Monitor/Taiz/Exclusive:
Al-Wazi’a district, west of Taiz governorate in central Yemen, is witnessing a state of escalating security tension, following the outbreak of intermittent clashes between tribal armed men and forces belonging to the “National Resistance” led by Presidential Leadership Council Member Brigadier General Tariq Saleh. This comes against the backdrop of disputes that started as administrative issues and turned into armed confrontations.
In an exclusive statement to “Yemen Monitor,” Sheikh Mansour Muhammad Far’e, Sheikh of the Mashawla tribe and one of the senior sheikhs of Al-Wazi’a and Ma’afir, revealed the details of the crisis that erupted after the seizure of devices and documents belonging to a relief organization by local citizens, in protest against what they described as “tampering with beneficiary lists.”
Sheikh Mansour Far’e made a direct appeal to Brigadier General Tariq Saleh, the commander of the National Resistance, to intervene and withdraw forces from the vicinity of villages and populated dwellings, and from the positions established during the problem.
He indicated that there is communication with “senior leadership” to contain the situation, confirming that “no human casualties have been recorded so far.” However, he warned that the continued military presence threatens to escalate the situation and widen the conflict.
Sheikh Far’e explained that the incident began when individuals (naming Ahmed Salem Haidar and others) took computers and lists from an organization working in the district, justifying this by the registration of “ineligible names” and the deprivation of needy families—an action that repeats in several Yemeni areas due to aid shortages and poor distribution.
He added that the command of the forces stationed on the West Coast (referring to field commander “Al-Hazawra”) responded by deploying an intensive military campaign that surrounded villages and homes near the location of the incident, leading to clashes with the people of the area.
The tribal sheikh strongly criticized the military forces’ handling of the incident, describing it as “unacceptable.” He said: “We are not satisfied with what happened, and we do not accept the district turning into a battlefield. Security and legal measures could have been taken to arrest those responsible for taking the organization’s equipment, instead of sending an intensive military campaign to terrorize children and women and station forces within the villages.”
Far’e affirmed that the use of excessive force against “one person or a group of people” turned the issue into a societal crisis, noting that “the situation is still tense, and clashes are erupting intermittently.”
Far’e concluded his statement by saying that mediation is underway to resolve the already tense problem, and it could be concluded in the coming hours.
