Bahrain Mirror: The former Omani Foreign Minister, Yusuf bin Alawi, said that he advised the King of Bahrain, Sheikh Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa, not to use violence against demonstrators.

He explained in an interview with presenter Musa Al-Far'i on the "Layl Muscat" show, which is aired on the official Sultanate of Oman TV (April 22, 2021) that during "a meeting of foreign ministers of the Gulf Cooperation Council [2011], we received His Majesty King Hamad and he explained the situation in the Kingdom of Bahrain. The response of the people [the ministers present] was that they were in support, then there was a discussion about what was the best means [to respond], since there was violence as if the day of resurrection was taking place," as he put it.

Bin Alawi went on to say that "His Majesty King Hamad was explaining how they [the government] interact," noting that "among the comments that I made to King Hamad was to be careful not to face demonstrators with any means of force."

"Even if they [the demonstrators] break or attack some people's businesses, these are all matters that can be addressed later, and thus the worst can be avoided."

Bin Alawi continues saying: "When I came back, I said in the report that I sent to His Majesty the Sultan [the late Qaboos bin Said, Sultan of Oman] that this was the conversation with the King of Bahrain."

"After he [Sultan Qaboos] read it, he pointed with his red pen: Are we not like this?"

Bin Alawi highlighted saying that "We understood that we [in Oman] would not allow this. I also gathered later from our fellow officials in the Royal Office that he issued orders for the military to move away from the sites of sit-ins."

Arabic Version