§ 98. Mr. Braineasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to make a statement about recent developments in the Western Aden Protectorate.
§ 99. Mr. J. Johnsonasked the Secretary of State for the Colonies to make a statement upon the situation in the Aden Protectorate.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydAs to the recent developments on the Western Aden Protectorate's frontier with the Yemen, I need add nothing to what was stated on 23rd April by my right hon. and learned Friend the Foreign Secretary in reply to a Question by the right hon. Member for Rowley Regis and Tipton (Mr. A. Henderson.)
During the last few days there has been a serious attack by a large number of dissidents instigated, bribed and armed by the Yemeni authorities on a position (Assarir) in the Dhala area, which was being held by one of the Protectorate advisory staff, Mr. Somerset, with a body of Government guards. Operations to relieve the fort were mounted by a force of British troops, Aden Protectorate levies and Government guards, and I am glad to say that they relieved the position yesterday, and Mr. Somerset has returned to Dhala. The dissidents were assisted by Yemeni troops in uniform, and a strong protest is being made about this flagrant aggression against a State in the Protectorate.
Because of their subversive activities in the Protectorate, particularly Lahej, it was necessary for the Governor on 18th April to give orders for the arrest and removal of Muhammed, Alawi and 55W Abdulla al Jifri. Muhammad and Alawi have so far evaded capture, but Abdulla has now been removed to Socotra. Conditions in Lahej have remained calm.
The following is the statement which the Governor made on 18th April:
Today the Governor made an order for the arrest and removal of Muhammad, Alawi and Abdulla Al Jifri, and security forces proceeded to Lahej to carry it out. Abdulla was arrested in Lahej today, but Muhammed who was believed to be there, was not found, and Alawi who is understood to be travelling elsewhere in the Protectorate has also not yet been located. These persons are known to have been in contact with certain foreign powers by whom they have been subsidised and on behalf of whom they have been working to disrupt the good relations between Her Majesty's Government and the Rulers and peoples of the Aden Protectorate, and they have been attempting to subvert the loyalty of the security forces. They have also been endeavouring to undermine the authority of the Rulers and their administrators who have complained about their activities in this regard. To a large extent the activities of these persons have contributed to the disturbed situation in the Aden Protectorate including the territory of Lahej. Their conduct has been such as to turn a friendly State bordering on to Aden into a centre of intrigue and subversion and to force the Governor of Aden and the Protectorate to take these measures against them in order to remove a growing and serious danger to the Colony and Protectorate. H.M.S. 'Gambia' and H.M.S. 'Loch Fada' and the first echelon of reinforcements of British troops arrived in Aden late this afternoon as a precaution against any trouble which might arise from the order made for the arrest of the Jifris.