By Darrin Simmons
Impunity Watch Reporter, Middle East
SANA’A, Yemen-Reports have indicated that at least four Yemeni soldiers were killed by local tribesmen in an attack on the army commission assigned to guard oil installations. The tribesmen warned the army to stop its operations in the area.
One witnesses recalled that gunmen and troops traded fire after the attack, adding that the army reinforcements had arrived in the area.
Government troops and facilities in southeaster Hadramawt province have been targeted by armed tribesmen since as early as December. Tensions arose between the army and tribesmen when a local tribal leader was killed at an army checkpoint upon refusal to hand over his weapons.
The death of tribal leader Bin Habrish has sparked protests and attacks on government facilities. Most recently, several people were killed in a brief seizure of the Yemeni oil ministry offices in Hadramawt.
Tribesmen have demanded that Habrish’s killers be handed over, as well as demanding withdrawal of the army from Hadramawt and creation of more jobs for the local people in the area.
The attack occurred one day after a tribal alliance formed in the area, warning that all operations should be suspended starting on this past Saturday. The operations are run by Norwegian DNO International, an oil and gas exploration company, which had no immediate comment.
On Saturday, members of the tribal alliance killed two soldiers and wounded one other in another attack on oil installations operated by Norwegian DNO in Hadramout.
Ever growing hostility in Yemen has due to their strategic position next to the major oil exporter Saudi Arabia and useful shipping lanes have caused international concern. Mass protests and political turmoil since the forced resignation of long-serving President Ali Abdullah Saleh in 2011have worsened matters. He was succed by deputy Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
Further, Yemen is one of the poorest countries in the Arab world experience. Yemen relies on crude exports to finance up to 70 percent of its spending budget. Yemen also faces increasing attacks by al-Qaida as sectarian tensions increase in the north and the occurrence of a secessionist movement in the south.
Hadramawt was once part of the formerly independent South Yemen, which was unified with the north in 1990. A secession attempt four years later caused a brief but bloody civil war that ended with northern forces taking over the south.
For more information, please see the following:
Al Jazeera-Tribesmen kill soldiers in southern Yemen-12 January 2014
Global Post-Yemen tribes kill 4 soldiers in fresh anti-army attack-12 January 2014
Gulf News-Yemen tribesmen kill soldiers in oil field attack-12 January 2014
Voice of America-Yemen Tribes Kill 2 Soldiers, Tell Norway DNO to End Oil Work-12 January 2014
