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Armenian Power Struggle Reaches Secret Service, Supreme Court

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On June 22, the Armenian parliament voted to change the country’s constitution by approving an amendment that allows for the immediate removal of three of the country’s nine supreme court judges. The country’s ruling coalition called a parliamentary emergency session as the government asserts itself against perceived remnants of the former regime that was peacefully overthrown in 2018.

June has been a busy month for Armenian politicians as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s “My Step Alliance” used its parliamentary majority to bring sweeping changes to the country’s security apparatus. On June 8, the virtually unknown 29-year-old Argishti Kyaramyan was appointed as the director of the country’s National Security Service (NSS) to complete a sweeping round of firings that also saw the removal of the country’s head of police and the chief of staff of the army.

Leadership changes

Artak Davtyan, the chief of staff of the Armenian army, was fired for organizing a large celebration for his son’s wedding during the country’s state of emergency related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The gathering welcomed more than one hundred guests, according to the Armenian press, which led the government to accuse the leaders of the NSS and national police of allowing the event to proceed.

“High-ranking state officials must first and foremost lead by example, demonstrating the importance of following the anti-epidemic regulations,” Prime Minister Pashinyan stated as he announced the sacking of leadership of three of the country’s security branches.

The moves were reported as political action against the country’s poor COVID-19 response, which saw the PM and his family infected with the virus. But the officials who were directly responsible for the country’s coronavirus strategy — Deputy Prime Minister Tigran Avinyan and Health Minister Arsen Torosyan — held onto their positions amid the controversial round of firings.

“I don’t think it was directly related to COVID,” Washington-based analyst Emil Sanamyan told Eurasianet. “I think Pashinyan wanted to change all three, and he did it.”

The former head of the NSS, Artur Vanestsyan, called the changes at the NSS a “threat to national security” and accused the prime minister of further consolidating power after the June 22 constitutional amendment.

Supreme Court

The country’s highest court will be transformed after three senior judges were dismissed through the constitutional changes approved by parliament. The three judges in question are considered to be hold-overs from the country’s previous regime that blocked the prosecution of opposition politician and business tycoon Gagik Tsarukyan, who is accused of vote-buying and structural corruption.

Attempts to prosecute Tsarukyan led to protests on June 14, when opposition protesters blocked the entrance to NSS headquarters and called for current prime minister Pashingyan to resign as Tsarukyan was called in for NSS questioning. Two days later, parliament voted to strip Taryukyan of his parliamentary immunity to allow prosecution, but a Yerevan court decided not to proceed with prosecution.

Some in the Armenian media have called for an end to investigations on Tsarukyan’s alleged corruption for fears of damaging the country’s “investment climate” and highlighting how prosecution occurred only after Tsarukyan started criticizing the government.

Tsarukyan is one of Armenia’s richest men, having amassed a fortune during the increasingly corrupt and undemocratic rule of Serzh Sargsyan, and receives support from many officials that were part of the former regime. Changing the country’s highest court despite a ruling of the Venice Commission will surely make prosecution of political opponents easier.

Civilian rule

It appears that Nikol Pashinyan, the former journalist-turned-prime minister, is aiming to complete the peaceful revolution against the former regime that started in 2018. Pashinyan himself was harassed and investigated by the NSS for being a political opponent to the government throughout his career.

Pashinyan has witnessed the power of a centralized state and its courts when the NSS, a remnant of the pre-independence local KGB, repeatedly targeted him, resulting in his imprisonment amid a general amnesty. As a political prisoner, Pashinyan saw first-hand how courts could silence opposition and stymie dissent.

The question that remains is whether Pashinyan is attempting to clear the courts and security structures of the former regime’s cronies, or whether he is concentrating power in a similar manner to the regime he helped overthrow.

Since 2018, Armenia has enjoyed greater press freedom and more democratic accountability. Whether the recent controversial changes promote or diminish this trend remains to be seen.

Saudi Arabia: Only Saudi Residents Can Participate in Hajj 2020

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As a result of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic and recent spike in global and domestic cases, Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of the Hajj and Umrah announced that it will continue with the Hajj in 2020 but only “a very limited number of pilgrims from various nationalities who already reside in Saudi Arabia” will be able to perform the rite. 

As a result the two million pilgrims who typically flock to the holy cities of Mecca and Medina will this year be unable to perform what for many is a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage. The kingdom has already suspended the Umrah pilgrimage to curb the virus spread.

“This decision is taken to ensure Hajj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective while observing all preventative measures and the necessary social distancing protocols to protect human beings from the risks associated with this pandemic and in accordance with the teachings of Islam in preserving the lives of human beings,” the ministry said. 

A number of Arab countries and Muslim leaders from around the world welcomed the decision, which ends months of speculation over the event during circumstances that had prompted some countries like Indonesia to unilaterally cancel the Hajj for their citizens.  

The United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Bahrain, Djibouti, and the Arab League all commended Saudi Arabia for making a “wise” decision that respects both religious imperatives and pilgrims’ health and safety.  

“This decision is welcomed for two reasons. First, it reflects Saudi Arabia’s keenness to hold the rite of Hajj, and secondly, it is keen at the same time to combat and address the coronavirus pandemic, because large crowds may be a reason for the continuation of the pandemic and its spread,” said Djibouti’s Ambassador to Saudi Arabia, Dya-Eddine Bamakhrama. 

Muslims are required to do the Hajj once in their life if they are fit and financially able. This year, the pilgrimage is scheduled to take place from July 28 to August 2.  

Pilgrimage revenues are a key source of diversification for the Saudi Arabian economy, which Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has committed to reform under the Saudi Vision 2030 plan. Each year the kingdom brings in around $6 billion in revenue due to Hajj, but the annual occurrence is also an important public diplomacy activity that helps Saudi Arabia assert influence amongst the world’s Muslims.

Read also: No Hajj for Indonesian Muslims in 2020

Dubai Hotels Show Generosity Amid COVID-19 Hardship

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When Zabeel House by Jumeirah – The Greens general manager Luke James reopened the trendy hotel after implementing the obligatory new COVID-19 measures, he got to thinking about how the establishment billed as the “ultimate social hub” could support community members hard-hit by the virus’ fallout. 

“Since we’ve reopened and welcomed back our regular guests, we’ve heard of several people going through quite a tough time given all the challenges of the last few months – we’re all one community and it’s only natural to help each other,” the general manager said.  

James decided to reach out through a local Facebook group and offer eight free, week-long stays at the boutique sanctuary located in Tecom.  

“Maybe, the main bread winner has lost their job or taken on a big salary cut – there are so many challenges people are facing.” 

“The only charge would be the mandatory Dh15 tourism charge per night for each room and through this, we’re hoping to alleviate some of the immediate concerns they may be facing.” 

The free-night offer quickly went viral, prompting some other local businesses to jump on board. James hopes they will not be the only ones and that Zabeel House’s generosity will inspire other UAE hoteliers and businesses. 

“We’re hoping it will spur other hotels in a similar position to offer the same, ultimately giving back to the community in a time of need, we literally are stronger together,” James said. “We’ve already had partners like Coffee Planet, African & Eastern, Opaala and our sister hotel Jumeirah Zabeel Saray come on board to add value to our initial offer.

“It’s great to see the knock-on effect and we really hope it continues.”

Zabeel House is part of a complex that includes dining options and gym, pool, and spa facilities that are all aimed at creating a friendly space not just for guests, but also for residents of the suburb sandwiched between old and new Dubai.

Read also: Dubai Fitness Fanatics Organize Burpee World Record Event for Charity

 

10 Movies to Watch to Educate Yourself on Racism

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Following the death of George Floyd at the hands of a white police officer, protests have erupted worldwide calling for an end to racism and police brutality. While the issue is centuries old, many people are only beginning to understand how hard it is to be black in today’s world, which is why it is paramount to educate oneself and be a better ally to the “Black Lives Matter” movement. A great way to do this is through movies.

Movies offer a wide range of perspectives on how black Americans and the black community worldwide have contended with white authority. They also depict the daily struggles, micro-aggressions, and stark examples of racism that black people face simply because of the color of their skin.

In the following selection, we have rounded up a few of our favorite films about race for you to watch and better equip yourself for the conversations ahead.

12 Years a Slave (2013)

Let’s start big. This movie is the Oscar-winner for Best Picture in 2014.

The film shows that the black American experience is rooted in slavery. It is based on the real-life memoir of Solomon Northup, a black man who was born free but then kidnapped and sold into slavery.

Soleil O (1973)

This is the debut film of Mauritanian filmmaker Med Hondo. 

The movie intersecting immigration and racism was shot over the course of four years and follows a black immigrant in Paris in his quest to find a job and settle down. This proves to be very difficult as the man is confronted with outright racism and has no one to turn to.

La Haine (1995)

This 1995 French black-and-white drama film was written, co-edited, and directed by Mathieu Kassovitz.

The film is about three young friends and their daily struggles living in the suburbs of Paris, echoing issues still facing migrants in France.

One line spoken in the movie stands out in particular and gives the film all its current relevance: “La haine attire la haine!” or “hatred breeds hatred.” 

13th (2016)

Ava DuVernay’s documentary, “13th,” is a must-watch for anybody who wants to learn about systemic racism in the US.

The film takes a deep look into the disproportionate number of black Americans behind bars, calling it “a modern-day version of slavery.” It also aims to debunk the myth of the inherent black criminality through interviews with formerly incarcerated men and women, politicians, historians, and activists.

The Hate U Give (2018)

This movie is based on Angie Thomas’ 2017 eponymous novel. It tells the story of a black girl going to a white private school across town. Through her experience, the movie takes on themes of racism, police brutality, and black identity.

To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)

This classic tale is adapted from Harper Lee’s Pulitzer Prize-winning novel of the same name.

Set in the summer of 1932, the movie follows the story of Atticus Finch, a white lawyer who represents a black man falsely accused of raping a white woman.

“To Kill a Mockingbird” is considered to be one of the first major productions to tackle racist oppression directly. Just like the novel, the movie was a big success and won three Academy Awards.

Dear White People (2014)

“Dear White People” is a series rather than a movie, but the satirical comedy offers a valuable insight into what it means to be black in a white world.

The series follows the journey of four black students at a white elite university in the US.

The series includes open and sometimes confrontational discussions of race. It also tackles gender and class and does a wonderful job exposing the many subtleties in racism.

I Am Not Your Negro (2017)

“I Am Not Your Negro” explores celebrated author James Baldwin’s life, legacy, and activism.

Through personal letters and an unfinished manuscript from Baldwin himself, this documentary tackles race, black identity, oppression, and police brutality.

The film connects Baldwin’s thoughts to the modern day and highlights the uncanny similarity between the events that punctuated Baldwin’s life during the Civil Rights era (1958-68) and events still happening in contemporary America.

Get Out (2017)

Jordan Peele’s Oscar-winning feature debut turns modern race relations into a psychological thriller.

The film is about a black man going to visit his white girlfriend’s rich parents only to discover their horrifying secret of luring black people into rich white homes to essentially become enslaved.

Both clever and political, original and creepy, the film takes racism head-on with a stark political awareness. A must-watch!

When They See Us (2019)

Another series rather than a movie, “When They See Us” is worth mentioning because it tells the true story of the Central Park Five, a group of five young black men wrongly convicted of the violent rape of a white woman in 1990.

Created by esteemed director Ava Duvernay, the series recounts the story from the perspectives of the five boys and highlights the effects that the wrongful convictions had on them and their families.

 

Read also: Blackface Puts Arab Celebrities in Line of Fire Amid Anti-Racism Protests

Yemen Conflict: Saudi Arabia Intercepts Houthi Attack on Riyadh

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In the latest escalation in Yemen, Saudi Arabia says it beat back a Houthi militia offensive that targeted the capital Riyadh, as well as border cities Jazan and Najran, on June 23. 

On Tuesday morning, Houthi military spokesman Yahya Sarea claimed the Iran-backed rebels had launched a successful assault on neighboring Saudi Arabia in a televised address.  

“A large number of winged ballistic missiles and drones targeted the capital of the Saudi enemy … pounding military headquarters and centres including the defence and intelligence ministry and (King) Salman Air Base,” Sarea claimed during the rebel-run Al Masirah TV broadcast.  

Shortly after, Saudi Arabian spokesman Colonel Turki Al-Malki said the Joint Coalition forces had neutralized the attack by intercepting and destroying eight “bomb-laden UAVs targeting civilians” bound for Riyadh on Monday night. They intercepted another three ballistic missiles fired from the Houthi-held Sa’dah governorate in Yemen towards the Saudi border cities of Najran and Jazan.  

“The continuation of these terrorist, hostile acts using bomb-laden UAVs confirms the extreme, unethical ideology of the militia toward innocent civilians,” Al-Malki stressed in a statement carried by the state-run Saudi Press Agency (SPA).  

Al-Malki said the attack was a “flagrant defiance” of international humanitarian law, adding the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition will “implement all necessary measures to protect innocent civilians.”  

Britain’s Foreign Secretary, Dominic Raab, joined Al-Malki in this position by voicing the UK’s condemnation for the Houthi attack on Tuesday afternoon.   

“I condemn these latest attacks on Saudi Arabia by the Houthis, and their continued offensives within Yemen which cast further doubt on their claims to want peace,” the foreign secretary said in a press release. 

“With over a million Yemenis believed to have contracted coronavirus, it is more vital than ever that the Houthis cease their hostilities and allow the UN-led humanitarian response to get on with saving Yemeni lives,” Raab noted.  

Yemen has been mired in a bloody civil war for five years which pits the Houthi rebels, based in northern Yemen, against the internationally recognized government that rules from Aden in the South with the backing of a Saudi-led coalition. 

The civil war has turned the already impoverished country into the world’s worst humanitarian crisis, with an estimated 80% of Yemenis requiring humanitarian aid and protection. 

Read also: Yemen Government Signs Ceasefire with STC

 

Fears Mount as Sahel Conflict Moves North

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A man protesting the Algerian government was shot to death in the country’s South as poverty and marginalization are escalating tensions. The village of Tin Zaouatine is home to roughly 4,100 and situated near the border with Mali and Niger in Algeria’s most southern province.

In the sweltering desert heat, protests had erupted when Algerian troops blocked access to the only local water source in the Saharan town, according to the North Africa Post. Why authorities took the drastic act is yet unknown but what is certain is the protests’ bloody aftermath.

The Algerian Defense Ministry denied that forces from the Algerian Army had shot the protester, instead blaming the tragic event on “unknown people targeting border guards.” ObservAlgerie reported that the Algerian government even disputes the location of the shooting, saying the death happened in the nearby Malian town of Ikhraben that borders Tin Zaouatine.

“These events relate to an attempt, carried out by smugglers and organized crime, aimed at deteriorating border security, by fueling violence among local inhabitants,” the Algerian defense ministry stated in a press release. From the language used, it appears the Algerian army is not necessarily denying it shot the man, but lies the blame at the feet of those organizing the protests.

Unrest at Algeria’s borders

The fact that local military forces used live ammunition against Algerian citizens protesting highlights the precarious state of Algeria’s southern border. Algeria’s southern neighbors, Niger and Mali, have both suffered tremendously from conflict in the Sahel that has pitched Berber tribes against government troops.

The borders between Algeria, Mali, and Niger are a remnant of colonialism and fail to take into account the shared culture of the local Berbers who have inhabited the region since antiquity. The wide variety of local Berber tribes are often classified as Tuareg, a definition that has helped awaken a sense of a national culture that supersedes national identity.

The unrest in the region has turned the Sahel into a haven for drug trafficking. Criminal networks are often better organized than the government forces intended to counter trafficking operations. The UN Office for Drugs and Crime (UNODC) estimates that illegal trade in the Sahel amounts to $3.8 billion every year.

External influence

The UN has made significant efforts to stabilize the region through peacekeeping missions and a UNODC agreement between Algeria, Burkina Faso, Chad, Mali, Morocco, Niger, which all have a significant Berber population and border the Sahel region. The World Bank has urged investment in local irrigation to increase agricultural output, but few concrete measures have materialized to improve local living conditions.

Other foreign actors have attempted to benefit from the local sense of insecurity. The UK-based Institute for Global Threats and Democracies Studies (IGTDS) in December, 2019 accused Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan of interfering in the region following Turkey’s intervention in the Libyan conflict. Turkey is now courting the Libyan Tuaregs, who often featured in Muamar Ghaddafi’s internal power struggles, as part of Turkish “ambitions of dominating the MENA-region,” according to the IGTDS.

The Stockholm-based Nordic Research and Monitoring Network went one step further. The NGO called a meeting between Turkish officials and ten prominent Libyan Tuareg leaders an effort to “enlist” Tuareg forces. According to the organization’s website, the efforts intended to extend Turkish influence over vast swaths of the Sahara desert by aligning Turkey with local leaders.

With opposing interests and political differences between many countries in the Sahel region, the question remains whether neighboring countries can prioritize the well-being of their citizens in border regions. Halting drug trafficking in the region depends on government troops that are ill-equipped for the diplomatic conundrum of winning hearts and minds while combating trafficking-networks, one of the few remaining sources of income for the local population.

Turkish Navy Ships Menace French Frigate in the Mediterranean

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France alleged Wednesday that on June 10, the French frigate “Courbet” was subject to hostile maneuvers by Turkish naval ships off the coast of Libya. 

In a move that French Defence Minister Florence Parly described as “very serious,” Turkish warships targeted the “Courbet” after it requested to search the Turkish cargo ship “Circkin,” believed to be carrying illegal weapons.

France claims three Turkish naval ships were escorting the “Circkin.” In response to French requests to check the ship’s cargo, the Turkish ships engaged their naval targeting radar three times, a move Minister Parly described as “extremely aggressive.” 

The French “Courbet’s” NATO mandate does not include the pursuit of ships and it was forced to abandon attempts to check the cargo of the Turkish “Circkin,” reported French daily Le Figaro.

“This is an extremely aggressive act that is unacceptable by an ally against a NATO ship,” the French Defence Ministry stressed on June 17. “We consider this an extremely grave matter… (and) we cannot accept that an ally behaves this way, that it does this against a NATO ship, under NATO command, carrying out a NATO mission.”

France is present off the coast of Libya as part of its engagement with NATO’s Sea Guardian operation. NATO describes Sea Guardian as a maritime security operation “aimed at working with Mediterranean stakeholders to maintain maritime situational awareness, deter and counter-terrorism and enhance capacity building.”

Turkey has rejected France’s allegations, with a senior Turkish military official stating that the French frigate failed to establish communications with the Turkish ships during the incident and reiterating that “Turkey is fulfilling its obligations as an ally today as always.”

“If one takes into account that the French warship was refueled by our side before the alleged incident, it is clear how inappropriate and intentional the allegation is,” they said.

NATO has since announced it will launch an investigation into the matter. On June 18, NATO Secretary-General Jans Stoltenberg explained the investigation aims “to bring full clarity into what happened.”

The incident comes in a time of tension between Ankara and Paris, whose relationship has deteriorated since 2016 over issues regarding refugees and human trafficking, as well as arrests of French journalists. 

France and Turkey’s rising tensions

Tensions have run high between Turkey and its EU NATO partners for months as President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has embraced a more aggressive strategic posture. 

In October 2019, Turkish-backed militants launched an offensive to secure a 30 kilometer “safe zone” along the border for Syrian refugees in Turkey to return. The offensive led to the death and displacement of thousands of Syrian Kurds, a key ally of NATO in the fight against Islamic State. 

Within the Mediterranean, France has previously accused Turkey of using the NATO flag on its warships outside of official operations, including to escort cargo. The use of NATO insignia outside of operations is forbidden. 

Paris has also escalated its opposition towards Turkish interventions in Libya, angering the Turkish regime. Tensions between Turkey and France over the conflict in Libya are driven by their support for rival leadership groups. 

Turkey, with Qatar and Italy, supports the UN-recognized Government of National Accord (GNA) whilst France, along with Russia, Jordan, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), supports the rival forces led by Khalifa Hifter. 

Turkey is facing criticism due to its involvement in transporting weapons and mercenaries to fight in the ranks of the Saraj government. France has slammed Turkey’s supply of arms to the GNA and hostile actions in the Mediterranean as undermining NATO’s work and attempts to negotiate and uphold a ceasefire. 

BBC issued an investigation revealing further proof that a Turkish ship delivered weapons to the Libyan Government of National Accord fighting within the capital, Tripoli. This move violates international resolutions and undermines the agreement from January’s Libya peace summit in Berlin, in which countries pledge to better enforce the arms embargo. Many parties allege Turkish military intervention has further fueled the already critical Libyan conflict.

Ankara continues to violate all international conventions and the Libyan arms embargo, France claims. The European country says Turkey was exporting heavy weapons across the Mediterranean to Tripoli. This exposed it to the direct clash with the EU’s Irini operation, set to monitor the commitment of the various parties to the UN arms embargo.

NATO members are divided over how to approach Turkey’s operations in Libya, with some member states believing that Turkey’s engagement will lessen Russia’s influence. Paris has been firm in its message to fellow members that “more Turkey does not mean less Russia.” 

Meanwhile, France is accused of being one of the many Arab and Western countries supporting the opposing Libyan National Army, led by Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar.

France denies supporting Haftar, but Turkish state media claims France has previously given him aid to fight Islamist militants. France did not publicly criticize the countries that support Haftar, the outlet claims, although France continues to criticize Turkey’s position.

 

Read also: France Repatriates 10 Children of ISIS Fighters From Syrian Camp

Brutal Tunisian Police Response Fuels 2nd Day of Protests in Tataouine

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Police used tear gas on Sunday to disperse residents in the restive Tunisian city of Tataouine protesting their leader’s detention and the region’s high unemployment rate. Demonstrators formed a sit-in protest camp at El Kamour, outside Tataouine, two months ago to demand the jobs in the oil and gas sector the government promised them in 2017.

Over the past two months, after three years of empty promises, residents of Tataouine demanding more job and economic development opportunities have been staging peaceful demonstrations. On Saturday night, security forces raided the El Kamour sit-in and arrested movement spokesperson Tarek Haddad and other members, who were released on Sunday morning. 

With Haddad still in detention, El Kamour sit-in members took to the streets on Sunday morning calling for his release, protesting the use of force during the Saturday raid and lags in regional economic development. Protestors threw stones at law enforcement officers, blockaded roads with burning tires, and allegedly threw Molotov cocktails at the district police station. 

On June 22 the Tataouine Local Labour Union (URT), which falls under the powerful Tunisian General Workers Union (UGTT), launched a “general strike.”  

They called for authorities to release the activists and criticized the police’s overzealous response, warning “they would be forced to resort to other, more severe forms of struggle” if their demands are not met.  

UGTT Secretary General Noureddine Taboubi echoed the URT demands, and urged the government to enter into “a peaceful and responsible dialogue with a view to finding a way out and giving hope to unemployed youth.” 

As requested, the House of People’s Representatives Bureau confirmed they discussed the situation in Tataouine during their Monday afternoon meeting. The energy minister has also agreed to a meeting in Tataouine on June 23, Tataouine District Governor Adel Werghi said on June 22.  

The Tunisia Press Agency (TAP) reports eight security officers were injured on Sunday. Werghi has defended the police response, saying the intervention was “carried out in accordance with the law.” 

The security forces used tear gas to disperse protestors on Sunday, but undeterred protestors returned on Monday chanting, “we will not give up, we want our right to development and jobs.” The security forces again resorted to using tear gas to diffuse protestors, according to witness and media reports.  

Despite having oil, gas, and underground water reserves, the economy in Tataouine remains primarily agriculture-based. After a 2017 sit-in in El Kamour, the UGTT negotiated a deal between the Tunisian government and sit-in leaders that was supposed to bring in $28 million worth of investment per annum to the impoverished region.  

Protestors say the deal has not materialized and have reverted to the same sit-in tactics used to draw attention to their cause three years ago. Citizens in a number of governorates are feeling the weight of unemployment and Tunisia’s economic stagnation, including in neighboring Kebili and Gafsa. Unemployed residents of the neighboring Gafsa governorate joined the Tataouine protest on June 22.

Read also: Subject of Tunisian COVID-19 Scandal Details Quarantine ‘Escape’

 

 

Yemen Government Signs Ceasefire with STC

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The Saudi-led coalition announced that Yemen’s government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) have agreed to a ceasefire deal, and to resume talks within the framework of the Riyadh Agreement. 

Last week, Saudi Arabia pitched a new plan to reduce tensions with the STC, calling for a ceasefire in Abyan province and STC to relinquish emergency rule. After taking control of the strategically located UNESCO World Heritage-listed island of Socotra by force over the weekend, the STC appears to have been more amenable to finding a political solution to tensions with its coalition partners, and agreed to the ceasefire.  

“In light of the recent events in (Socotra) and (Abyan) governorate, the Coalition welcomes the response of the legitimate government of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council for its request of a comprehensive ceasefire, de-escalation and a meeting to be convened in the Kingdom to move forward in implementing the Riyadh Agreement,”  Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen spokesman Colonel Turki Al-Malki said in an official statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. 

Al-Malki said the coalition’s Joint Forces Command is deploying observers to Abyan to “observe the comprehensive ceasefire and separation of forces.” He also called for all parties to “prioritize the national interest of Yemen,” and to avoid “escalations in all Yemeni governorates.”

Socotra Take-Over

On Sunday, the STC, nominally aligned to the Saudi-led coalition government, says it has seized government buildings and military bases on Socotra Island, a UNESCO World Heritage site.  

The Southern Transitional Council says it has deposed the governor of Socotra, Ramzy Mahrous, and taken control of the four-island archipelago located in the Gulf of Aden. 

The Yemeni government, backed by the UAE and Saudi forces, accused the Southern Transitional Council (STC) of launching a “full-fledged” coup on Socotra Island, condemning their attack on government buildings as “gang-style behavior.”

The STC declared its self-rule in April. Socotra Governor Ramzi Mahroos says coalition partners the UAE and Saudi Arabia have ignored this declaration, including the weekend takeover of the strategically-positioned archipelago. Mahrous says the STC forces “raided” the island’s capital but according to STC spokesman Salem Abdullah al-Socotri, they were just “normalising the situation.”

Coalition In-fighting

Yemen has been mired in a bloody civil war for five years which pits the Houthi rebels, based in northern Yemen, against the internationally recognized government that rules from Aden and is backed by a Saudi-led coalition. The STC was ostensibly part of the internationally recognized government coalition and received backing from the UAE before it withdrew from Yemen last July to focus on “counter-terrorism” activities.

After growing increasingly disenfranchised with Yemeni President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s governance and accusing it of corruption and mismanagement, the STC separatists took control of Aden and the southern provinces in August 2019 and demanded a power-sharing deal. In November Saudi Arabia brokered a deal between Hadi’s government and the STC, known as the Riyadh agreement, that theoretically put an end to the in-fighting between the two factions. 

In April 2020, with Hadi’s government distracted by a Houthi-led escalation of violence in the North, the STC used the deteriorating humanitarian situation to justify its declaration of self-rule of Aden and the southern provinces. 

The STC’s decision to consolidate its independence declaration by taking over Socotra can be taken as a rejection of that offer and adds another layer of complexity to the deeply entrenched conflict in Yemen. 

Why is Socotra Important? 

Socotra is best-known for the otherworldly dragon’s blood trees that dot the island. According to local mythology, the first tree grew from the blood of two brothers who fought to the death, and in light of Yemen’s contemporary struggles, they could be considered a sad symbol of the “civil war within a civil war” fought between the STC and internationally recognized government forces. 

The four-island archipelago is also known as the “Galapagos of the Indian Ocean,” and after breaking away from the Gondwana supercontinent a little less than 20 million years ago, has gone on to develop a rich biodiversity. UNESCO states that “37% of Socotra’s 825 plant species, 90% of its reptile species, and 95% of its land snail species do not occur anywhere else in the world.” 

As well as being full of unique flora and fauna, sparsely-populated Socotra is located in the strategically important Gulf of Aden shipping lane. Each year, some 21,000 ships use the vital sea lane which connects the Mediterranean and the Arabian Sea in the Indian Ocean through the Suez Canal, making it one of the world’s busiest and most important shipping lanes.

Read also: Saudi Arabia Proposes Framework For Peace in Yemen

French Media Accuses Turkey of ‘Poisoning the Atmosphere’ at NATO Meeting

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The explosive claims by French media come after Minister for Defence Florence Parly told a June 17 meeting of NATO defense ministers that “we can no longer pretend that there is not a Turkish problem.”

France earlier accused Turkish navy ships of engaging in “extremely aggressive” behavior in the Mediterranean, alleging the ships engaged their targeting systems as a threat to the French frigate “Courbet” during a June 10 incident off the coast of Libya. 

An unnamed attendee told Le Monde that the NATO meeting was “very tense.”

Turkey hit back at France’s allegations of aggression prior to the NATO meeting, claiming French “support for the rebel commander Khalifa Haftar has worsened the crisis in Libya and reinforced the suffering of the Libyan people.”

Turkish military adventurism in Syria and its continued willingness to supply arms to Libya’s Government of National Accord (GNA), despite a United Nations arms embargo, has led French diplomats to warn of the “extension of the Ottoman Empire to the west of the Mediterranean.” 

Rising tensions between Turkey and France

The tensions between Turkey and France are long-running. In 2019, French President Emmanuel Macron suggested that a “crisis of solidarity” existed between Turkey and NATO. At a December 2019 NATO meeting in London, a number of European states including Germany and Italy supported French criticism of Turkey’s offensive against Kurdish forces in northeastern Syria. 

Further increasing tensions within the bloc, Turkey has opposed plans to increase defense measures in Eastern Europe. Designed to counter Russian influence, Turkey is demanding that NATO designate the Kurdish militant group YPG terrorists in exchange for its support. 

Despite the difficulties NATO is facing, a diplomatic source told Le Monde that “Turkey will always have its place in NATO.”