Southern Transitional Council – Artifex.News

Southern Transitional Council | Yemen’s separatists

admin — Sat, 10 Jan 2026 20:14:00 +0000

Supporters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a coalition of separatist groups seeking to restore the state of southern Yemen, hold South Yemen flags during a rally, in Aden, Yemen.
| Photo Credit: AP

On January 3, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen announced a new Constitution for the “State of South Arabia”.

Nearly a decade since its formation, the STC appears closer than ever to achieving its goal of a separate southern Yemen, — or “South Arabia” as it calls the region — independent from the North. However, the subsequent days revealed the group’s struggle to maintain its gains.

The STC credits its emergence to the pre-Arab Spring movement in southern Yemen known as “Al-Hirak al-Janoubi”, or “Hirak”, which led demonstrations demanding autonomy from the Ali Abdullah Saleh-led north.

A key figure among them was Aidarous Qassem al-Zubaidi, who, with the support from the UAE, was successful in countering Houthi advancement in Al Dhale and Lahij in 2015. The UAE, subsequently, persuaded then-President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi to appoint Mr. al-Zubaidi as Governor of Aden.

Over the next two years, however, Mr. al-Zubaidi and Mr. Hadi clashed on several occasions. Tensions reached breaking point over control of Aden’s airport in February 2017, prompting Mr. Hadi to sack him. Three months later, on May 11, 2017, Mr. al-Zubaidi announced the formation of a 26-member STC, with the goal of making “South Arabia” a geo-political reality.

Mr. al-Zubaidi moved quickly to legitimise the STC. He installed himself as the chair of the Presidium, and unified various UAE-backed armed groups under the “Southern Armed Forces”. This proved crucial in the STC’s eventual takeover of Aden’s presidential palace in 2019. Saudi Arabia subsequently brought Mr. al-Zubaidi and Mr. Hadi to the negotiating table for the Riyadh Agreement, which provided for the STC’s inclusion in the Yemeni government. Dissatisfied with the Agreement’s implementation, the STC recaptured Aden and declared self-rule in April 2020.

In 2022, after Mr. Hadi ceded power to the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), the STC joined the body, with Mr. al-Zubaidi appointed as a Vice-President under Rashad al-Alimi. Barely a year later, with the Houthis launching attacks against Western vessels in the Red Sea, the STC reaffirmed its allegiance to the U.S-led anti-Houthi efforts.

On the domestic front, Mr. al-Zubaidi continued to work on increasing STC’s autonomy.

In September 2025, Mr. al-Zubaidi set the ball rolling with the announcement of 13 decrees that placed Southern leaders in various government positions, as the STC accused the PLC of “undermining the legitimate rights of the people of the South”. Later, in an interview, he ruled out any possibility of negotiations, and claimed that “the best solution for Yemen [against Houthis] and the best path to stability is the two-state solution”.

In December 2025, the STC launched Operation Promising Future and took over control of the Hadramout and Al-Mahra Governorates. The STC claimed that the operation was necessitated to liberate these regions from Houthis, al-Qaeda and ISIS. Hadramout’s conquest marked the biggest gain for STC yet, with the group now in control of 80% of the country’s oil reserves.

This, however, barely lasted a month with Saudi Arabia launching strikes first against STC positions and then targeting a UAE vessel it said was delivering more weapons to the group. On ground, Saudi-backed forces swiftly recaptured lost territories. The STC’s December actions deepened tensions between the Saudi and the Emirati governments. As Riyadh set about to host another dialogue to resolve the tensions, the STC found itself leaderless. Aden had fallen, Mr. al-Zubaidi was removed from the Presidential Council and declared a traitor, and as per Mr. Alimi had fled to the UAE.

Over the years, the STC fought to keep alive the possibility of a separate southern Yemen, but found it increasingly difficult to replicate the pre-1990 realities in 2026. Its reliance on the UAE and Yemen’s GCC-controlled government, for now, has kept the STC apart from “South Arabia”.

Published – January 11, 2026 01:44 am IST

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Yemen separatists say Saudi-backed forces to deploy in seized territories

admin — Thu, 01 Jan 2026 15:45:00 +0000

Separatists from Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council said on Thursday (January 1, 2026) that Saudi-aligned government forces would enter territories seized by the UAE-backed group, in a step that appeared unlikely to satisfy Riyadh after it repeatedly demanded their full withdrawal.

A surprise offensive by the STC, in which the separatists took control of resource-rich Hadramawt and Mahra provinces last month, has brought the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, officially allies in Yemen, to a point of unprecedented tension.

On Tuesday (December 30), the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen struck what it said was a shipment of Emirati weapons in the port of Mukalla destined for the separatists, a claim Abu Dhabi has denied, and demanded that STC forces withdraw from the newly captured territory.

In its statement on Thursday (January 1, 2025), the STC said it would continue to operate in the regions but had agreed to the deployment of the Riyadh-backed National Shield government force in the areas.

“Today, we launched an operation to integrate the southern National Shield forces so that they can assume the responsibilities and missions that fall to our armed forces,” they announced.

The statement said a National Shield brigade would be deployed in “areas of the Hadramawt and Mahra governorates, as agreed”.

But a source close to the Saudi government told AFP on Thursday that Saudi Arabia’s security needs would only be met if the STC “move out of Hadramawt and Mahra”.

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, said the redeployment of government forces did not go far enough.

“We have to wait and see what is carried out on the ground,” they added.

Another source close to the Saudi military told AFP the Riyadh-led coalition was closely following events on the ground and making its own assessment.

The STC later dismissed criticism of the deal, saying that the government forces that would enter their areas would be predominantly made up of southerners who had been funded and supervised by Saudi Arabia.

“Their deployment along the Saudi border nullifies any argument used by those lying in wait to incite Saudi Arabia,” STC spokesman Anwar Al Tamimi told AFP.

‘Security demands’

Farea Al-Muslimi, a Gulf and Yemen researcher at the UK-based Chatham House think tank, characterised the deployment as a “face-saving measure” on the part of the STC that had been offered to Riyadh and rejected in the past.

“If a complete withdrawal and handover of Hadramawt and Mahra takes place, it could be a prelude to de-escalation,” he told AFP.

“If it doesn’t happen… it will never resolve Saudi Arabia’s clear and direct security demands,” Muslimi added.

Musaed Salem — a bus driver who lives in Qatn city in Hadramawt — told AFP he was relieved to hear of the latest decision by the STC to allow government forces into their territories, saying he hoped it brought greater stability and eased tensions.

“We don’t want war. We want security and stability in Hadramawt and everywhere,” he said.

Saudi Arabia, the main backer of the Yemeni government, had repeatedly urged the STC to withdraw from recently conquered territories, particularly areas along its southern border, and earlier conducted airstrikes against its positions.

Following the strikes on Tuesday, the UAE’s Defence Ministry said it would withdraw its last remaining troops in Yemen after Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour deadline for their removal.

The Yemeni government, of which the STC is a part, comprises a fractious coalition of groups united by their opposition to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and subsequently large parts of northern Yemen.

While both are opposed to the Houthis, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi back different members of the Yemeni government.

The STC’s December advance raised the possibility of that South Yemen, a separate state from 1967 to 1990, might declare independence, while dealing a hammer blow to slow-moving peace negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Emirati troops arrived in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, who had forced the government from the capital Sanaa in 2014 and seized much of the country.

The UAE pulled out most of its forces in 2019, leaving only a limited number in the government-run south.

Published – January 01, 2026 09:15 pm IST

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