Oman bars tribal gatherings as the spectre of Dhofar rises once again

The Public Prosecution Office has vowed to take “all relevant legal measures” against anyone who helps to organise tribal meetings and gatherings in Oman, or who promotes such events on social media, in what looks to be the latest sign of a clampdown on the sultanate’s (already heavily circumscribed) political arena. Multiple sources have told GSN that the statement, issued on 7 May, is related to an early May meeting of the Al-Hakli (also known as Al-Qara) tribal confederation in Dhofar – scene of a long-running guerrilla war in the 1960s and 70s.