Michigan – The American Center for Justice (ACJ) expresses its strong condemnation and deep concern regarding the organized attack carried out by forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), originating from the governorates of Al-Dhalea, Abyan, Shabwah, and Aden, on the city of Seiyun, several districts of Wadi Hadramawt, and Al-Mahrah Governorate in recent days. Information received by ACJ indicates that these clashes resulted in dozens of deaths and injuries, and that STC forces committed serious violations, including arbitrary arrests, looting of government offices, commercial establishments, and private homes, particularly targeting individuals from northern governorates. These attacks demonstrate a pattern of severe discrimination based on geographic identity.
According to ACJ’s monitoring, these violations affected both civilians and military personnel, resulting in casualties and the detention of dozens of individuals who were transferred to newly established detention centers. Some detainees, particularly those from Hadramawt Governorate, were released, while others from northern governorates were forcibly displaced. The fate of many detainees remains unknown.
ACJ emphasizes that the continuation of such attacks poses a direct threat to social cohesion, undermines the foundations of peaceful coexistence among Yemen’s diverse communities, deepens internal divisions, and could expand the cycle of violence if urgent measures are not taken to halt these abuses.
Preliminary estimates indicate that the total death toll approaches 100 individuals from all parties involved, distributed approximately as follows: STC forces – 34, Hadramawt Alliance – 17, First Military Region – 24, and one civilian fatality. While the clashes were geographically limited and did not initially escalate widely, the consequences have been severe in the affected areas.
Violations by STC forces became particularly evident during their incursion into Hadramawt, where they forcefully occupied state institutions, including government and military offices, without legal authorization and imposed control through armed force. They also raided the executive office of the Islah Party, vandalizing its furniture and contents, while assaulting and intimidating security personnel. These actions constitute a direct attack on political life.
The attacks extended to the homes of public officials, including the Interior Minister and the First Undersecretary of the Ministry of Interior, as well as residences of soldiers and officers near the First Military Region. Civilians, including women and children, were terrorized, and personal property of military personnel and their families was looted.
Violations further encompassed commercial enterprises. Traders were forced to open their shops, which were subsequently looted by armed groups. Small vendors in Seiyun had their livelihoods disrupted through raids and theft. Private property of residents was also targeted, including the theft of livestock belonging to families in the Al-Gharf area of Seiyun, constituting a flagrant violation of citizens’ rights and property. Alarmingly, weapons and ammunition storage facilities were left unsecured, raising serious concerns that looted arms could exacerbate violence and contribute to further chaos.
Additionally, these groups disseminated hate speech and promoted social division through hostile and regionalized rhetoric against the people of Hadramawt, heightening societal tensions in a governorate that had remained largely peaceful throughout the conflict.
ACJ underscores that these attacks constitute clear violations of international law. The 1949 Geneva Conventions prohibit attacks on civilians, arbitrary detention, and the pillaging of property during armed conflicts. The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) guarantees freedom from unlawful deprivation of liberty, prohibits discrimination and ill-treatment, and reinforces accountability. Customary international law deems targeting civilians based on identity a war crime, while the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court classifies widespread arbitrary detention and identity-based persecution as crimes against humanity.
The American Center for Justice (ACJ) calls on the leadership of the Southern Transitional Council to immediately cease these attacks, assume full responsibility for the crimes committed, and ensure the safety of detained civilians and military personnel. ACJ also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all detainees, an end to identity- and region-based assaults, and the initiation of an independent and transparent investigation to hold perpetrators accountable, while providing protection for civilians to prevent recurrence of such crimes that threaten Yemen’s social peace.
ACJ stresses that protecting civilians and refraining from targeting individuals based on geographic or regional identity is both a legal and moral obligation. Continued impunity contributes to repeated violations and exposes social stability to serious risks, requiring urgent intervention by local and international actors to ensure justice for victims and uphold the rule of law.
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