Political and social groups from Hadramawt province in eastern Yemen have formed an organisation to campaign for their rights.
The founding of the Hadramawt National Council was announced in Riyadh on Tuesday.
“The new council aims to serve as a political platform to express the aspirations and represent the interests of the Hadhrami community in Yemen,” the group said.
The creation of the council followed more than a month of talks sponsored by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition.
The coalition was formed to support Yemen's internationally recognised government after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014. The ensuing civil war led to the formation of numerous regional militias that have supported the Yemeni army in fighting the rebels, but have also occasionally turned against each other.
“We agreed on one political charter that will represent Hadramawt locally, regionally and internationally on all issues,” Bader Baslamah, the head of the council, told reporters in Riyadh.
The council's charter, described by its leaders as "comprehensive and responsible", stipulates that it will stand against “the establishment of any military formations outside state institutions”.
Those in attendance in Riyadh said they had formed the council after consultations with Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Yemen's governing body created last year through Saudi mediation to reach a "comprehensive political solution" to the civil war.
“I was pleased with the frank and transparent meeting today with the people of Hadramawt province, who always embody the spirit of responsibility in distancing their governorate and the liberated areas from any conflicts," PLC chairman Rashad Al Alimi said.
Mr Al Alimi praised Hadramawt residents' devotion to developing and rebuilding their region, and confronting "lurking" Iranian influence.
Hadramawt is the biggest province in southern Yemen. The Southern Transitional Council (STC) advocates greater autonomy for the country's south, or even the creation of a separate state, as had existed until 1990.
Much of northern Yemen remains under Houthi control, the while the government controls most of the south.
The biog
Name: Timothy Husband
Nationality: New Zealand
Education: Degree in zoology at The University of Sydney
Favourite book: Lemurs of Madagascar by Russell A Mittermeier
Favourite music: Billy Joel
Weekends and holidays: Talking about animals or visiting his farm in Australia
Nepotism is the name of the game
Salman Khan’s father, Salim Khan, is one of Bollywood’s most legendary screenwriters. Through his partnership with co-writer Javed Akhtar, Salim is credited with having paved the path for the Indian film industry’s blockbuster format in the 1970s. Something his son now rules the roost of. More importantly, the Salim-Javed duo also created the persona of the “angry young man” for Bollywood megastar Amitabh Bachchan in the 1970s, reflecting the angst of the average Indian. In choosing to be the ordinary man’s “hero” as opposed to a thespian in new Bollywood, Salman Khan remains tightly linked to his father’s oeuvre. Thanks dad.
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Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The biog
Favourite hobby: I love to sing but I don’t get to sing as much nowadays sadly.
Favourite book: Anything by Sidney Sheldon.
Favourite movie: The Exorcist 2. It is a big thing in our family to sit around together and watch horror movies, I love watching them.
Favourite holiday destination: The favourite place I have been to is Florence, it is a beautiful city. My dream though has always been to visit Cyprus, I really want to go there.
