Arabic press review: Yemeni officials lose loot as Aden militias raid their homes

Militias turn to looting amid Aden chaos

In the chaos that has swirled around the southern Yemeni city of Aden, UAE-backed militias on Sunday and Monday carried out several violations including looting, al-Arabi al-Jadeed newspaper reports.

The militias, affiliated to the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), targeted the homes of government officials, in addition to the leaders of the Southern Resistance militia loyal to President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi.

An official from the Yemeni presidency, speaking anonymously, told the pan-Arab paper the looting and violations were reminiscent of the Houthis’ behaviour when the rebels took control of Sanaa in 2014.

"The Aden coup revealed the extent to which the Houthis and allies of the UAE are similar," the official said.

Sources close to the Central Bank of Yemen’s governor, Hafedh Mayad, told the daily that STC-aligned gunmen stormed his Aden residence, raiding the whole property – including his bedroom.

Meanwhile government officials, top figures in the president’s official guard and the headquarters of the al-Islah party were all also targeted, sources close to the government told al-Arabi al-Jadeed.

Crime and calamity accompany Eid in Egypt

Controversy, catastrophe and tragedy accompanied the Eid al-Adha holiday in Egypt, according to London-based paper al-Quds al-Arabi.

In Ismailia governorate in the country’s northeast, a butcher was killed while trying to slaughter a calf.

Minutes before the calf was set to be killed it began rampaging, killing the butcher instead, escaping to the street and turning on bystanders – wounding nine of them.

Livestock is traditionally slaughtered on Eid and its meat shared between the poor, friends and family.

In Qalyubia governorate, meanwhile, an elementary school’s headmaster caused consternation by turning his facility into an abattoir.

The headmaster opened his school’s doors to someone seeking a place to kill his calf and then clean up afterwards, provoking uproar from members of the community worried about health and safety. The controversy has led to a government enquiry into the incident.

More disturbingly, several complaints were made to authorities about girls and women being harassed over the holiday.

In response, the Cairo Foundation for Development and Law declared it was launching an operations room to monitor and document crimes targeting women over Eid, the paper reports.

Algerian businessmen turn from France to Russia

Seeking to boost profits and pivot away from Algeria’s former colonial ruler France, Algerian businessmen are seeking to take part in September’s WorldFood Moscow expo, according to newspaper Echorouk el-Yawmi.

The move comes as part of a strategy to diversify the portfolio of foreign investments away from France, their traditional partner, the Algerian daily reports.

Businessmen in Algeria are now counting on "the Russian giant to a greater extent for partnership in the food and agriculture industry", the paper says.