Southern Transitional Council takeover of Socotra

STC takeover of Socotra
Part of Yemeni civil war (2014–present)
UAE and STC-operated roadblock in Socotra
Date 21 June 2020 Location Socotra Governorate, Yemen
Belligerents
Southern Transitional Council UAE	Yemen

On 21 June 2020, the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council took over the Socotra Archipelago Governorate.

Background

After the Arab Spring spread to Hadibu, the island's capital, locals began to rise against the then-Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. The UAE took advantage of this period of instability to increase their presence under the guise of delivering aid and has therefore accelerated the politicisation and militarisation of Socotra.

Protestors in Hadibu during the Arab Spring

Protests in Socotra followed the theme in mainland Yemen, calling for "political reform" and "the end of the regime and its corruption". With the rise of internet access, locals shifted into two camps: those calling for a Socotran governorate independant of the Hadhramaut Governorate of eastern mainland Yemen, and those demanding an autonomous federal region. In 2013, the Socotra Archipelago became the Socotra Governorate.

The archipelago was struck by a series of cyclones, Chapala and Megh in 2015 and Mekunu in 2018, causing severe damages to the main island's infrastructure, homes, roads, and power. Due to the collective impacts of the cyclones, the United Arab Emirates sent an aid ship and plane, carrying tons of food, blankets and tents, and barrels of food. the Emiratis also rebuilt the infrastructure and established the "Shaykh Zayed City" and rebuilt the port of Hadiboh and the airport. The UAE's habbit of operating and expanding infrastructures wasn't new, as they have done the same thing with the port cities of Mokha, Aden and Mukalla; And in doing so they established ties with Southern groups and militias, most notably the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

In 2016, the UAE increased supplies delivered to Socotra which had been neglected due to pressing mainland concerns during the ongoing conflict. In October 2016, the 31st cargo aircraft landed in Socotra Airport containing two tons of aid. At that time, the UAE also illegally established a military base on the island as a part of the Saudi Arabian–led intervention.

In 2017, Emirati troops had already been deployed on the island as a part of the Saudi Arabian–led intervention, some Yemeni political factions accused the UAE of attempting to occupy Socotra and looting and ravaging the flora of the island.

2018 Emirati occupation

Main article: United Arab Emirates occupation of Socotra

On 30 April 2018, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) deployed more than a hundred troops with artillery and armored vehicles to the Yemeni archipelago of Socotra in the Guardafui Channel without prior coordination with the Yemeni government, causing the relations of the two countries to deteriorate. The initial deployment consisted of UAE military aircraft carrying more than fifty UAE soldiers and two armored vehicles, followed by two more aircraft carrying more soldiers, tanks and other armored vehicles. Al Jazeera reported that shortly after landing, UAE forces dismissed Yemeni soldiers stationed at administrative installations such as Socotra Airport and seaports until further notice, and the flag of the United Arab Emirates was raised above at official government buildings in Hadibu. On 14 May an agreement was reached between the UAE and Yemen which saw Yemen regain administrative control and Saudi Arabian troops also being deployed to the island.

Since 2019, the UAE-backed STC Security Belt Forces increased their presence on the island, with fighters mostly coming from Aden and the Southwest.

Takeover

On 21 June 2020, after Socotra’s governor, Ramzi Mahroos, opposed the establishment of a local pro-Emirati force, the STC took control government facilities and military bases of the main island, prompting Saudi forces to quickly withdraw. The de facto coup by the STC allowed the UAE to indirectly control the island, with the wages of Socotrans reportedly paid by the UAE. A unit of the local Yemeni Coast Guard defected and joined the ranks of the STC.

The archipelago's governor later fled to Oman and continued to govern the archipelago using WhatsApp.

Aftermath

The internationally recognized government of Yemen initially called the takeover a "A full-fledged coup".

An AFP report from 2021 say that "the STC's banners are dwarfed by far larger UAE flags fluttering at police checkpoints," and the newly established communications links phones directly to UAE networks rather than Yemen's official "YemenNet".