The war in Yemen has complicated the process of safe movement, after the crushing conflict imposed alternative and difficult roads full of tensions, military points and toll outlets by all parties, exacerbating the suffering of Yemenis at various levels, and increased the struggle and costs of transporting goods and commodities between Yemeni governorates.
In reviewing one of the examples of these difficulties and complications spread everywhere, we mention, for example, the district of Tur al-Baha in the governorate of Lahj, to the west of the governorate of Aden, which is interspersed with the general route linking the two governorates of Aden (southern Yemen), which was taken as a temporary capital by the internationally recognized government. Taiz (southwest of the country).
This road is the only artery linking these two governorates, after the main roads between them were blocked and destroyed by the warring parties several years ago.
In fact, the war changed the usual main routes, which exacerbated the suffering of travelers after moving from one governorate to another - which did not require more than three to four hours - required ten hours or more, and in some lines the movement process is not without inconveniences because of the security points and tiring alternative off-road.
Control of conflicting parties
In the Tur al-Baha district, forces affiliated with the internationally recognized government loyal to one of the parties affiliated with it have controlled the center of the district and the western parts of it since the beginning of the year 2020 until the beginning of the current year 2022, in addition to the military points and tax points affiliated with these parties throughout the general route, while the forces of the Southern Transitional Council control the eastern parts of the district and most of the military points on the general route, as well as the northern parts, which are mountainous areas, and intermittent clashes occur from time to time between the forces of the Transitional Council and the forces of Ansar Allah group (Houthis) using all kinds of weapons which made it very risky route.
From the beginning of 2020 until the end of the last year 2021, the pace of conflicts between government forces and the Transitional Council forces in the region intensified, over power and military control, and each party mobilizes its forces to the region from time to time, which suggests the occurrence of armed conflicts between the two parties.
The conflict emerged when, in early September 2021, government forces took control of the directorate’s security department and assigned an officer loyal to government forces to run it. Also, the Transitional Council forces issued a decision appointing another officer loyal to the council’s forces as director of the directorate’s public security department.
Checkpoints, royalty collection and interruption
Just as there are checkpoints and levies belonging to the other side, Ansar Allah (Houthis), which imposes a complete siege on the city of Taiz from the eastern side, there are checkpoints on the general route, most of which follow the forces of the Transitional Council, and one of those military points, known as the Jabaleen military check point, is about 20 kilometers east of the center the directorate, has witnessed the arrest and murder of the young man, Abdul Malik Al-Sanbani, who was inspected robbed and killed. This was a public incident which took place in September 2021.
Hence, with all conflicting parties agreeing to a two-month truce, which took effect in early April, and included finding a partial solution to some air and sea ports, the main challenge in the event of the persistence of the truce and exerting efforts to resolve the complex files in the Yemeni crisis is related to finding a solution to the land ports and opening the blocked roads.
Also, on the route, there are collection points affiliated with the government forces, where illegal taxes are imposed on trucks loaded with goods passing towards Taiz governorate, in addition to the existence of collection points and illegal roadblocks, carried out by armed men from the tribes of the region. These armed groups have created some temporary points on the route, and they stop pedestrians, truck drivers or vehicles, as well as those traveling on that road, who are blackmailed into paying sums of money at gunpoint in exchange for allowing them to pass through.
Such incidents were repeated almost on daily basis during the year 2021, without the intervention of the security authorities of the parties to the conflict. In fact, there are accusations from the local population of the involvement of forces affiliated with the internationally recognized government in pushing these militants to carry out intermittent actions and exploiting it for political purposes. The region is also witnessing insecurity and complete impunity which resulted in many incidents including the hijacking of an International Committee of the Red Cross car on September 16, 2021, upon its return from Taiz Governorate towards Aden Governorate, as well as the killing of Doctor Atef Al-Harazi on October 04 2021, and many other similar illegal acts.
The conflict between the tribes
In the same context, and since the beginning of this year, conflicts have been active between the tribes of the Tur al-Baha district, the most famous of which was the conflict between the Atawiyyin and Ma’amiya tribes, and the conflict between the two tribes continued until the end of October 2021, and all types of weapons and large quantities of ammunition were used in the conflict between the two tribes. In the tribal clashes.
Local residents reported that the fighting elements of the two tribes were mostly soldiers; Some of them belong to the government forces, while others belong to the forces of the Transitional Council.
These conflicts between the two tribes also left many casualties among civilians; one of them was the incident of the injury of the child Raghad Afif (11 years old), in September 2021, as well as the injury of an elderly woman. These skirmishes disturbed the public peace and made children and civilians in the area, as well as those on the road, at risk.
All of these irresponsible acts happening in the region without any role or intervention by the authorities controlling the region. Rather, there are accusations that one of the parties to the conflict controlling the region has a hand in fueling the clashes from behind the screen.
With all parties agreeing to a two-month truce that began in early April, which included finding a partial solution to some air and sea ports, the main challenge in the event of the continuation of the truce and moves to resolve the complex files in the Yemeni crisis is related to finding a solution to the land ports and opening roads as a right guaranteed to the Yemeni citizen who has been struggling with in governorates movement since the beginning of the war in Yemen in March 2015.
