[Ganoob67]

The letter from the Southern Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR) to the EU as promissed:

Bern, 26.06.2006

Dear Sir or Madam,

We write to you to draw you attention to the dramatic situation in South Yemen and particularly in the area of Al-Dhalea, 90 km north of Aden.

Since February 2010, the army of Yemen has been imposing a military blockade on the towns and villages of Al-Dhalea which caused a serious shortage of vital materials such as food items, fuels and medicinal products. The daily services including medical supplies is almost broken. To make matters worst, the Yemenite government has been suppressing the demonstrations people organize in Al-Dhalea to demand on recreation of their independent state (The Democratic Republic of Yemen) that unified with the Arabic Republic of Yemen in 1990.

Al-Dhalea suffered like all other parts of South Yemen from the occupation of South Yemen 1994 by the military of North Yemen. However, the situation was further aggravated this year in Al-Dhalea. From January to June 2010, 17 people have been killed and almost 100 injured including women and children. More than 80 houses have been destroyed and a lot of vehicles burned and live stocks died due to the shelling of the cities and villages, which meant the lost of the only source of income for most families.

Below are two examples of the warlike events in Al-Dhalea:

- Only three days after the opening of the meeting of the "Friends of Yemen" at the Foreign Office in Berlin on 04 June 2010, the military of Yemen attacked the city of Al-Dhalea with heavy Artillery as reaction on the participation of the inhabitants in a peaceful general Strike. This strike is called by the peaceful movement of South Yemen on the first Monday of each month, to emphasis the claim for the independency of South Yemen. As a result of this indiscriminate shelling by the Yemeni army of the southern town of Al-Dhalea, six people were killed and almost 20 were wounded, including women and children. The army even shot people who rushed to help the injured ones.

- On 21 June 2010, the government started to attack Jihaaf, a town in the province of Al-Dhalea, killing a woman, injuring an unknown number of people and destroying houses and a school. Jihaaf and the nearby villages are still surrounded by the Army and is sporadically shelled daily especially in the night. One of three men who disappeared at the beginning of the attack was found dead yesterday in a valley and thought to be executed by the army. No information are available about the two others.

In light of the above, we urge you to put pressure on the Government of Yemen to stop all the aggressive attitude of its military forces towards the inhabitants of Al-Dhalea, withdraw the blockade and discontinue all kind of violation of human rights and humanitarian law. We also urge you to plead for establishing an international independent commission to investigate the recent events in Al-Dhalea and condemn the government of Sanaa for the attack on Al-Dhalea and Jihaaf.

We will be very happy to provide you with any information needed by you to conduct any further investigation.

Thank you for your anticipated support.


Sincerely,
Southern Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR)



Links To News and videos/pictures of the msack of Al.Dhalea:

[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]
[فقط الأعضاء المسجلين والمفعلين يمكنهم رؤية الوصلات . إضغط هنا للتسجيل]