Yemen Monitor / Mukalla / Exclusive:
Political activity in Hadramout has intensified amid calls to hold a controversial gathering under the name “Hadramout Tribal Alliance,” financially and politically backed by leaders of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), foremost among them Aidarous Al-Zubaidi.
Reliable tribal sources have revealed details of an effort to reconstitute the alliance under a new façade aimed at legitimizing the ongoing military advance in the governorate.
Political activist Abdul-Jabbar Bajubair said attempts to sideline the alliance’s legitimate leader, Sheikh Amr bin Habrish Al-Aliye, have been underway from November 2023 until March 2025, supported by substantial funding. He stressed that this financial backing does nothing to alter the alliance’s established legitimacy, rooted in its July 2013 founding on well-known principles and firm foundations that reject the current claims.
These maneuvers coincide with preparations by STC forces to launch a military incursion into the governorate—an action tribal and political sources describe as illegitimate and lacking public consensus. They say the planned meeting is being used as a social cover to justify these steps and the political projects driving them.
Sources added that the individuals arranging the meeting hold no legal or organizational standing within the alliance. Some have been formally dismissed, such as Omar Bashqar, previously removed from his post as secretary-general, while others—like Ali Omar Bamaz’ab—lack any official authorization to act as deputy head of the alliance’s office.
Strong tribal reactions have emerged across Hadramout. Leaders and dignitaries of the Nouh tribe announced a complete boycott of the planned meeting, warning against anyone falsely claiming representation and holding them responsible for any consequences. The elders of the Mashqās tribe also refused to participate, affirming their rejection of any non-Hadrami gathering inside or outside the governorate and viewing such meetings as alien to Hadramout’s social and cultural fabric.
In a firm stance, Chief Omar Abdullah Basloom Al-Sibani, a member of the Hadramout National Council, declared his categorical rejection of any gatherings or movements by non-Hadramis. He emphasized the sanctity of the Ras Hawira area and the need to preserve its identity and historic role as a tribal symbol tied to Hadramout and its social heritage.
Amid these developments, the legitimate Hadramout Tribal Alliance remains steadfast against ongoing attempts to reshape it under new externally driven fronts. Tribal and political leaders across the governorate continue to issue strong warnings against any infringement on Hadrami principles or interference in local decision-making.
