The Nobel Peace Prize laureate and human rights activist Tawakkol Karman has paid tribute to the people of Mahrah, a Yemeni governorate located some 1300 km east of the capital Sana’a, for rejecting the Saudi-UAE presence in their area.

"I salute the struggle of great Mahris who reject the Saudi-UAE presence in their province," said Mrs. Karman in a statement on Twitter.

She also praised them for their sit-ins demanding the delivery of sea and land ports to the legitimate authorities.

On Monday, the people of Al Mahrah began an open sit-in in the governorate capital, Al-Ghaideh, to demand the handing over of all sea and land ports of the province to the two legitimate security and military establishments.