Timed with the 46th anniversary of October 14 Revolution and 3rd anniversary of the podium’s martyrs, last week saw marches and gatherings by thousands of Southern Movement leaders and activists in several cities of south Yemen including Al-Habilin, Radfan and Al-Dhale’.
Tight security measures were imposed in all southern and eastern provinces particularly Aden, Abyan, Al-Dhale’ and Hadramout. Unlike previous gatherings and demonstrations, these events witnessed no violence.
Local sources reported that dozens of citizens organized a peaceful demonstration in Aden and they called for releasing the prisoners detained over the Southern Movement.
Raising secessionist flags, photos for the podium martyrs and samples of the suspended daily Al-Ayyam newspaper, the participants demanded ceding south Yemen from the north – a call that was repeatedly voiced by south Yemen leaders including former President of South Yemen and the Vice-President of the united Yemen Ali Salem Al-Baidh and Haider Abu Bakr Al-Attas, the Former Prime Minster of united Yemen.
In Radfan’s case, all roads leading to the district were blocked by security forces and telecommunications were cut on October 14; however, this was not enough to stop thousands from demonstrating.
In their final statements, the participants demanded the government to release all political prisoners detained over the events in South Yemen and further voiced their solidarity with Al-Ayyam newspaper which was suspended few months ago.
Rejecting accusations of terrorism attributed to them, the participants also announced the birth of the Supreme Peaceful Revolution Council in South Yemen. The council is due to be based in Zingubar.

Last week’s events
Protesting the arrest of lawyer Mohammed Mus’ed Al-Auqlah, a south movement leader, dozens of southern movement protesters blocked the Sana’a-Aden highway. This occurred as soon as they returned from a festival organized the Supreme National Council – a wing led by Hasan Ba’awm and Nasser Al-Nawbah.
In what seems to be a chasm among southern movement leaders and groups, Ba’awm and Al-Nawbah refused previously to join the Supreme Peaceful Revolution Council in South Yemen.
Many observers believe that there exists a wide chasm between the southern movement groups and leaders and this is evidenced by the fact that each group and leader conducts separate events. They also believe that it is a race over the movement’s leadership.
Failing to release Al-Auqlah, a group of young people belonging to the Southern Movement placed stones on the highway joining Sana’a and Aden to stop any vehicles coming from Sana’a from reaching Aden.

JMP denounces arresting Al-Auqlah
The opposing Joint Meeting Parties (JMP) denounced arresting Al-Auqlah by the Al-Dhale’ security apparatuses and described the process to be an act of piracy against the political activists.
In their press release, JMP considered the continued detention of Al-Auqlah and his companions to be continuity for the authorities’ practices and measures which fall outside the law and constitution.
It also demanded immediate release of all political prisoners and to allow all peaceful groups to practice their own peaceful events so that they do not resort to violence, stressing at the meantime the need for respecting the law and constitution.

Al-Baidh addresses demonstrators
Addressing the demonstrators through the Thuraya satellite network, former Vice President Ali Salem Al-Baidh called them to unite and to work for developing the means of peaceful struggle until they reach the stage of civil disobedience.
Al-Baidh, who remained silent for 15 years, started his political activity few months ago and he initiated his political involvement with a call for having things between both parts of Yemen as they were before 1990.
This initiative drew a great deal of criticism inside Yemen and all superpowers and regional and neighboring countries turned a deaf ear to him. His call for disengagement was welcomed only among the proponents of the Southern Movement.
In return, President Saleh attended a festival held in Sana’a to celebrate the 46th anniversary of 14 October Revolution and stated that the army forces are about to achieve victory in Sa’ada and stressed that unity is the most precious achievement.

Comprehensive dialogue
Under the ceiling of unity, former President of South Yemen Ali Nasser Mohammed called for a comprehensive dialogue to get Yemen out of what he called the “historic impasse”.
Nasser, calling people to unite, noted that the country undergoes a critical moment and the one who put the country in this catastrophic situation should bear his historic responsibilities.
He also demanded authorities to immediately release the activists of Southern Movement and journalists and to halt the suspension of Al-Ayyam newspaper as well as respecting the civil life across the country, particularly in southern provinces.

Telecommunication services cut
Official sources revealed that outlawed elements intentionally cut the fiber optic cables and switching networks and this resulted in cutting the telecommunication services from Aden and Abyan governorates.
The same sources stated that a technical team was sent to the cut area to work on restoring the telecom services, adding security apparatuses are conducting a probe into the circumstances of the incident.