Yemeni Defense Minister Mohsen Mohammed al-Daeri welcomed on Monday Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman's message to the Yemeni people in which he called on the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to withdraw its forced from the Hadhramaut and al-Mahra governorates.
He said the message underscores "Saudi Arabia's firm support to Yemen and its legitimate authorities and its constant keenness on backing its unity."
The Kingdom has backed Yemen's efforts to restore state institutions, liberate all of its territories and achieve the goals of the Arab coalition and therefore bolster security and stability in Yemen and the region, he added in a post on Facebook.
He expressed his "absolute trust in the Saudi leadership and its ability to overcome and resolve any differences to help guide both northern and southern Yemen to safety."
He hailed the "Saudi sacrifices and its continuous generous support" to Yemen in all fields, voicing his pride "in this strategic partnership that will remain a cornerstone to completing the liberation and building a secure and prosperous future."
Hundreds of violations
Separately, as the STC continues its unilateral military escalation, reports have emerged of hundreds of violations it has committed in Hadhramaut.
The Yemeni Network for Rights and Freedoms (YNRF) documented 614 violations in the governorate between December 2 and 25. It spoke of a "systematic" targeting of civilians and social infrastructure that has displaced some 5,000 families.
In a report on Monday, it said that the "extent of the violations reflects a systematic pattern of practices that cannot be described as incidental. Rather, they are part of a methodical policy that threatens social peace and undermines the rule of law in one of Yemen's most relatively stable governorates."
The violations include murder, extrajudicial killings, arbitrary arrests, forced disappearances and displacement, and looting of private and public property. It documented the killing of 35 members of the army and 12 civilians, and the injury of 56 others, in Hadhramaut.
It documented seven cases of extrajudicial killings of prisoners and 316 cases of arbitrary arrest against civilians. It reported 216 cases of forced disappearances in Hadhramaut, Raymah, Hajjah, Taiz, Dhumar, Abyan, Ibb and other provinces.
The network noted the looting of 112 homes and 56 commercial establishments.
It said that it has received dozens of notices about the detention and forced disappearance of civilians. It revealed that hundreds of military personnel have been reported missing in grave violation of national law and international standards.
The network said the STC violations are a flagrant violation of international humanitarian law and commitments that have been made in Yemen. Some of the violations can also amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
It warned of the "catastrophic" humanitarian consequences of the violations, such as the breakup of the social fabric, greater internal displacement, and collapse of the local economy.
It demanded clear international condemnation of the violations in Hadhramaut, urging an immediate and unconditional end to them. It called for the immediate release of all arbitrarily held detainees and that looted property be returned to their owners. It also demanded that those responsible be held to account.
The developments in Hadhramaut "were not an isolated incident, but part of a systematic pattern that undermines the opportunities for stability and peace in Yemen," it warned.
