On Tuesday, more than a dozen tribal sheikhs from Khawlan traveled to Sana’a’s Movenpick Hotel, the main site of the National Dialogue Conference. The purpose of their visit, which was led by Mohammed bin Naji Al-Ghader, was contained in a file which was handed over to NDC Presidential Board member Mohammed Qahtan.

The file’s lengthy title doubled as a summary of the visiting sheikhs’ grievance: "The Massacre of 74 Tribal Sheikhs from Khawlani Tribes, Carried Out by the Regime of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen on February 21, 1972.''

Once they arrived, the contingent of Khawlani sheikhs seated themselves in an auditorium which adjoins the NDC’s Media Center. There, a statement - which was prepared by the families of those 74 individuals who lost their lives in 1972 – was read. It included a demand that the NDC’s members include the issue in the conference agenda.

Yehia Nasser Al-Zaydi, who has been acting as spokesman for the victims’ families, said that in 1972, 74 sheiks from Khawlani tribes – in addition to others from a tribe in Marib - received an invitation to visit Aden in south Yemen for a discussion of north-south political relations.

According to Al-Zaydi, they received the invitations because they were political and social leaders who were concerned over north-south relations.

"They were killed just hours after they arrived at 11:00 AM at Baihan City’s al-Makesara district, in Shabwa governorate, on February 21, 1972,'' said Al- Zayedi.

Again according to Al-Zaydi, the location where they traveled to had been rigged with explosives which were concealed below floor-level; as soon as they reached the location, the explosives were triggered and all who were present were either killed or left wounded.

Al-Zaydi added that those were not killed in the blast were then fired upon and killed by unknown gunmen.

Among those killed that day in 1972 were Sheikhs Naji bin Ali Al-Ghader, Hantash, Al-Hayan, Tawiman, Al-Samiri, Al-Qadhi, Al-Zaydi, and Saleh Hossen Qassem.

From 1972 until the present day, the case has been completely absent from Yemen’s political scene.

Also included in the family members’ statement were demands for the NDC to investigate and produce the names of those responsible for their relatives’ deaths; for the remains of the slain to be produced; and for ‘martyr’s’ rights to be provided for the slain and their families.