With the armed conflict in Yemen escalating and taking on new dimensions, these events were reflected upon innocent and vulnerable citizens of minority and disadvantaged groups in society with more abuses paid by them. INSAF Center for Freedoms & Minorities has followed the bloody events in Aden in southern Yemen during the past few days and the ensuing results since the beginning of August 2019, where many violations against innocent people have been recorded. Moreover, what the President of the Southern Transitional Council, Mr. Aidrous al-Zubaidi, said in his speech at the Aden Satellite Channel on 11 August 2019 is establishing a general approach that is systematically targeting minorities, where he clearly stated that: “To our surprise, and the surprise of international and regional organizations in Aden was the emergence of sleeper cells from marginalized and African immigrants who were recruited by the Presidential Protection Brigades through assigning numbering to them, salaries and arming them to participate in battles based on their orders, which indicates the advanced preplanning of this failed action, which rebounded back on them.”
This speech gives the green light to target the marginalized people of African descent in the city of Aden, and makes them a legitimate target to those who listen to this statement who he describes as terrorists, mercenaries and fighters with the Presidential Protection Brigades. It is unacceptable to generalize a sentence to a certain group of people, let alone without a trial or legal proceedings, even if some members of these units were found to be of marginalized or African descent as he claims. There are hundreds of thousands of innocent citizens of the same descent, and speeches of this nature give direct induction to target them and give sufficient justification to harm them.
We at INSAF Center for Freedoms & Minorities appeal to the Presidency of the Transitional Council to be at the level of assuming its legal responsibilities and to protect the minority civilians from any aggressions that may be inflicted upon them by this or any other speech. We also appeal to the rest of the local, international and governmental organizations to take on their responsibilities as well to face any aggressions that may endanger the life, freedom or human dignity of these minorities.
