UAE-backed Yemen forces loot Central Bank’s cash in Mukalla port

Yemeni forces backed by the UAE on Sunday stormed the Mukalla port in Hadramout and looted five containers of cash belonging to the Central Bank of Yemen, which were recently printed in Russia.

Sources said that “the Emirati forces present at Rayyan Al-Mukalla International Airport stormed the port with militants affiliated to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and confiscated the money that arrived on Sunday.”

The same sources stated that “the looters were accompanied by Emirati planes that flew at low altitude to protect the containers until they reached Al-Rayyan area in the city of Mukalla.”

On Sunday, a ship carrying newly printed money belonging to the Yemeni government, docked under heavy guard in the Mukalla port, east of Yemen, as the authorities closed the area in conjunction with a demonstration carried out by supporters of the UAE-backed STC, demanding the confiscation of these funds allegedly heading to Maarib.

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The money containers were supposed to be transferred to the Central Bank’s branches in the eastern governorates of Hadhramout, Al-Mahra, and Shabwa, to pay the salaries of civilians and military personnel.

The militia of the UAE-backed STC carried out a similar robbery in Aden on 13 June, when seven containers of money were looted on their way to the Central Bank. The STC militants transferred the cash to their headquarters in the Jebal Hadid area, south of the city.

In late April, the STC declared self-governance and a state of emergency in Aden and southern provinces of Yemen, in a move which was condemned by the internationally-backed government of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi which is in exile in Saudi.

MBS and MBZ bloody Yemeni war – Cartoon [Sabaaneh/MiddleEastMonitor]