Two missiles landed inside the campus of Aden International Airport, launched by the Houthi militia, on Friday evening, while a plane carrying passengers was preparing to take off from it at the moment of the targeting, according to official sources.
The Aden Security Administration stated, in a statement, that preliminary information about this incident, which is the second in a week, indicates that no loss of life was recorded, explaining that the competent authorities are continuing to complete the necessary procedures, provided that they will provide public opinion with any additional details as soon as they are completed.
The Security Department confirmed that the repetition of these incidents inside the airport campus represents a serious threat to the safety of civilian objects and air traffic, especially in light of the presence of flights to and from several countries, and the presence of passengers in the departure and arrival halls.
The statement, published by the official agency, indicated that Aden International Airport is a vital air port for Yemenis, including patients and humanitarian cases who depend on it to travel and receive treatment abroad.
For his part, the Yemeni Minister of Information, Muammar Al-Eryani, confirmed the safety of the passengers and crew of Yemen Airways flight No. (IY 612), heading to Cairo International Airport, indicating that it was preparing to take off at the moment the militia targeted Aden Airport with two missiles that landed about 500 meters from the plane, and 100 meters from the middle of the runway.
Al-Eryani added, in a post on the “X” platform: “God’s providence prevented a horrific humanitarian catastrophe that could have claimed the lives of dozens of innocent travelers,” noting that “what happened is not just an attack on a civilian airport, but rather a direct threat to the lives of passengers and flight crews, the safety of air navigation, and a serious violation of international laws and norms.”
The Minister of Information stated that this civil airport operates dozens of flights daily, transporting patients seeking treatment, students seeking their future, expatriates returning to their families or departing to work, and thousands of Yemenis who depend on it as an essential window to communicate with the world.
Al-Eryani stressed that targeting Aden International Airport “is neither a military achievement nor a victory to be boasted of, but rather an assault on the right of Yemenis to life, movement, treatment, and education, and a direct threat to innocent lives and the safety of civil aviation.”
The minister stressed that “the state, with the support and backing of the brothers in the coalition to support legitimacy led by Saudi Arabia, will continue steadfastly to protect our people, its institutions and vital facilities, end the Houthi threat, restore the state, and establish security and stability in Yemen.”
Egypt and Sudan affirmed the “depth of fraternal relations” between them, and rejected “attempts to harm bilateral relations based on mutual respect and good neighbourliness,” following the targeting of gold and mineral prospectors near the border between the two countries, and the killing of two Egyptians in the Sudanese capital, Khartoum.
During his meeting with the Sudanese Minister of Finance, Jibril Ibrahim, the Egyptian Foreign Minister, Badr Abdel Ati, stressed “the constants of his country’s position in support of Sudan’s unity, territorial integrity, and the preservation of its institutions,” stressing the continuation of Egyptian efforts aimed at ending the war in Sudan.
The meeting between Abdel-Ati and Ibrahim came on Friday, on the sidelines of their participation in the annual meetings of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. The two ministers stressed “the depth of fraternal relations and the historical ties that bring together the two countries and the two peoples.” According to a statement by the Egyptian Foreign Ministry, they stressed their “rejection of any attempt to harm these relations, which are based on mutual respect for sovereignty and borders and all considerations on which good-neighborly relations are based.”
These confirmations come after gold prospectors, known locally as “Al-Dhahaba,” were targeted near the Egyptian-Sudanese border, and users of social media platforms in Sudan circulated video scenes that they said showed Egyptian military aircraft bombing mining areas inside Sudanese territory.
The Egyptian military spokesman announced, in a statement last Monday, that “law enforcement elements from the armed forces and civil police carried out the third phase of an expanded campaign to confront illegal gold mining in the Eastern Desert.” He explained that the campaign was preceded by the throwing of warning leaflets, noting that it “aims to impose Egyptian sovereignty and protect the country’s capabilities and wealth.”
At the same time, Sudanese gunmen opened fire on a number of Egyptian truck drivers in Khartoum, killing two drivers and wounding another.
According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry’s statement, Abdel-Ati and Ibrahim discussed the political track and developments in the situation in Sudan, and the Egyptian Minister reaffirmed his country’s position in support of the unity of Sudan, the integrity of its lands, the preservation of state institutions, and continuing efforts to end the crisis and alleviate the suffering of the Sudanese people.
For his part, the former Egyptian Assistant Foreign Minister, Ambassador Youssef Al-Sharqawi, considered the meeting an indication of the continuation of political communication between Cairo and Khartoum, and a renewal of the constants of the Egyptian position in support of the unity and territorial integrity of Sudan. He said that the emphasis on maintaining bilateral relations and managing them with mutual respect represents “an important message in light of the controversy accompanying the two recent incidents.”
Al-Sharqawi added, in statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, that relations between the two countries include many areas, stressing Egypt’s keenness to strengthen the capabilities of Sudanese institutions to carry out their role and support post-war reconstruction efforts. According to the Egyptian Foreign Ministry statement, the two ministers discussed ways to strengthen and develop bilateral relations in various fields, in a way that meets the aspirations of the two peoples.
In turn, the head of the Foreign Relations Committee of the Sudanese-Egyptian Friendship Association, Mohamed Jabbara, believed that the two recent incidents do not reflect the nature of the historical relations between the two countries, accusing other parties, which he did not name, of employing them to harm these relations and target the partnership between Cairo and Khartoum.
In statements to Asharq Al-Awsat, Jabbara called for strengthening relations by resorting to “reason and diplomatic wisdom” in dealing with the repercussions of the two incidents. He proposed forming a joint force on the border to confront private mining operations, in addition to activating political, economic and development cooperation paths between the two countries.
On Monday, the Transitional Sovereignty Council in Sudan announced the formation of a fact-finding committee regarding what it described as a “painful accident” to which a number of Sudanese miners were exposed in the border region between Egypt and Sudan. He explained that the committee includes representatives of the Public Prosecution and the judicial and security authorities, to investigate the circumstances of the incident and determine all the circumstances and facts related to it.
Today, Friday, at the Royal Palace in Rabat, Moroccan King Mohammed VI chaired the ceremony of appointing members of the new government, in a step that opens a new phase before the executive authority, focusing on accelerating reforms and improving the performance of public facilities. On this occasion, the new members of the government took the oath in the hands of the King.
The new government, headed by Fatima Al-Zahraa Al-Mansouri, includes a number of figures holding portfolios directly related to priority files, in addition to a number of ministers continuing in their positions, which reflects a trend towards combining continuity and renewal of government responsibilities.
The new government witnessed the emergence of a number of names running for the presidency for the first time, following the legislative elections that took place on September 23 of last year. The new government includes 32 ministers, and its formation brings together party leaders, political frameworks, and technocrats, within the framework of a new government formula that bets on distributing responsibilities among the components of the majority, and seeking the help of competencies in a number of sectors.
As expected by a number of observers, King Mohammed VI renewed confidence in Fawzi Lakjaa by appointing him Minister of Economy, Finance and Public Efficiency in the new government, in a move that reflects continued reliance on his experience in managing public finances and keeping pace with the Kingdom’s economic developments.
This appointment comes after years of working as Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget, where he accumulated experience in preparing financial laws and tracking their implementation, in addition to his contribution to managing files related to financial balances and budgetary reforms.
Lakjaa’s continuation of government responsibility is seen as an extension of his path in managing financial files, at a stage in which the new government faces challenges related to mobilizing resources, stimulating investment, financing social programs, and maintaining macro-economic balances.
The new minister is awaiting important financial and economic files, the most important of which is preparing and implementing the government’s financial directions, and keeping pace with economic reforms, in a way that ensures reconciliation between development requirements and maintaining the sustainability of public finances.
It is also noted that in the new government formation, nine ministers will retain their government positions, according to the Royal Court’s communication regarding the appointment of members of the new government.
The matter concerns Abdel Wafi Laftit, who retained the portfolio of the Ministry of the Interior, Nasser Bourita at the head of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, African Cooperation and Moroccans Residing Abroad, Abdellatif Wehbe as Minister of Justice, and Ahmed Al-Tawfiq as Minister of Endowments and Islamic Affairs, along with Nizar Baraka, who continued his duties at the head of the supply and water sector, with forests included in the new name of the ministry after it had been subject to the Ministry of Agriculture.
As for the presence of women in the new government, the government formation appointed today, Friday, by the King, included seven women, including Prime Minister Fatima Zahraa Al-Mansouri, with a female presence distributed between the presidency of the executive branch, ministerial portfolios, and the positions of delegated ministers, bringing back to the forefront the debate about women’s representation in political and administrative decision-making centers in Morocco.
Fatima Zahraa Al-Mansouri assumes the presidency of the government, making her the first woman to hold this position in the history of Morocco, while the list includes six other women who hold ministerial positions, or delegated tasks within the government.
The female names included in the lineup include Sharafat Afilal, who was assigned the portfolio of Minister of Energy, Mines and Sustainable Development, Najwa Kokos, Minister of Family, Social Development and Equality, and Qulub Fitah, Minister Delegate to the Prime Minister in charge of Relations with Parliament and Civil Society.
The list also includes Madiha Khair, Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Education, Primary Education, Vocational Training and Qualification, in charge of Vocational Training and Qualification, and Fatima Al-Saadi, Minister Delegate to the Minister of National Territorial Preparation, Construction, Housing and City Policy, in charge of Housing and City Policy, along with Aisha Kalaa, Minister Delegate to the Minister of Artificial Intelligence, Digital Transformation and Administration Reform, in charge of reforming the administration.
Thus, the female presence is distributed between the presidency of the government, the energy and mineral sector, the family, social development and equality, relations with Parliament and civil society, vocational training and rehabilitation, housing and city policy, and administration reform.
