Aden // President Abdrabu Mansur Hadi moved to calm tensions in Aden on Monday after at least 22 people were killed in clashes between the security forces and militias meant to be their allies.
Mr Hadi visited the port of Al Moaala where the fighting took place on Sunday to offer assurances to members of the Southern Resistance, who along with troops loyal to the president and UAE forces from a Saudi-led coalition, helped liberate the city from Iran-backed Houthi rebels
“Hadi confirmed that all the fighters of the resistance will be integrated with the army and security forces, stating that the security forces will take over all the public institutions,” a presidential source told The National.
The source said all the Southern Resistance fighters had agreed to leave the port, which they have guarded since the Houthis were defeated in July. The fighters had refused to leave when government security forces arrived to take over the facility.
Meanwhile, authorities imposed an 8pm to 5am curfew in Aden from Monday night.
“The curfew will begin tonight until further notice, and this step will help the security forces to intensify the security in the city,” said Nizar Anwar, a provincial spokesman.
Mr Anwar confirmed that the port was under the control of the security forces, and there was no more fighting after they took over.
Security in Aden, Yemen’s temporary capital, has fluctuated since the Houthis and their allies – forces loyal to the former president Ali Abdullah Saleh – were driven from the city. Extremists have carried out a series of attacks including suicide car bombings and assassinations of officials.
Hasan Ali, one of the resistance members involved in the clashes on Sunday, said: “We liberated Aden from the Houthis and the government has to reward us and integrate us with the army and security.”
He said there was a misunderstanding with the security forces, but when a government committee visited them early on Monday morning and promised they would be integrated with the army and security forces, the resistance fighters left the port.
“We prefer not to create chaos in Aden, rather we want to keep our city safe,” he said.
The curfew is seen as necessary as Mr Hadi’s security forces increasingly take over responsibility for policing the city from the Southern Resistance.
“The security forces have to replace them [Southern Resistance fighters] in all the public institutions in Aden,” said Fadhl Al Rabei, a political analyst and the head of Madar Centre for Strategic Studies in Aden.
He said the curfew would help the security forces to patrol the city more easily and if there were any clashes, civilians would not be harmed.
foreign.desk@thenational.ae