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Socotra governor Ramzi Mahrous an Emirati ship delivered military equipment, including armoured vehicles, to the Southern Transitional Council in late February.

An official at Socotra port told Anadolu Agency that the decision to sack Suleiman followed his refusal to allow the UAE ship to “unlawfully” enter the port.

A local source told Arabi 21 on condition of anonymity that "these UAE military vehicles and vehicles were sent to be used against civilians and the local population, under the pretext of providing humanitarian aid."

Hamid assumed his role in the government last December per the , which aimed to unify the internationally recognised government of Abedrabbo Mansour Hadi and the STC into a power-sharing administration.

Saudi Arabia led a in March 2015 to restore Hadi's government and crush the Houthi insurgency. The UAE, though a coalition member, has divergently backed the STC in Yemen’s south and on the Socotra island.

Abu Dhabi has attempted to to gain control of south Yemen's ports and the island in a bid to bolster its global maritime trade and regional sphere of influence.

Despite the Riyadh Agreement the UAE has faced repeated accusations of covertly backing the STC, in clear violation of the deal. 

The STC the island of Socotra in June last year, following a years-long power struggle between them and the island’s authorities.

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