Southern Transitional Council

The Southern Transitional Council (STC; ) is a secessionist organization in southern Yemen. The 26 members of the STC include the governors of five southern governorates and two government ministers. It was formed by a faction of the Southern Movement. It was established in 2017, and it has called for and worked toward the separation of southern Yemen from the rest of the nation as it previously was until 1990.

Declared on 11 May 2017, the council is headed by the former Governor of Aden Governorate, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, as president, with former minister of state Hani Bin Breik as vice-president. The formation of the council was authorized a week earlier by the Historic Aden Declaration, announced at a rally protesting the dismissal of al-Zoubaidi from his post as governor. The STC, a major party to the Yemeni Civil War, claims to rule most of the territory in southern Yemen.

In April 2022, STC joined the Presidential Leadership Council, after then-Yemeni President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi resigned and transferred presidential powers to the newly formed body. STC head Aidarus al-Zoubaidi became the Vice President of the new government. The STC increased its influence in the council by enlarging its membership to three out of the eight, through internal reorganization in May 2023.

History

On 27 April 2017, President Hadi dismissed Aidarus al-Zoubaidi from his post as governor of Aden Governorate due to his close ties with the United Arab Emirates, which President Hadi described as "acting like occupiers" in Aden. This was met with large demonstrations in the city in support of the deposed but popular Zoubaidi.

In 4 May 2017, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi announced a speech which the STC describes as the "Aden Historic Declaration" (). The speech was delivered in Aden's Freedom Square (), formerly known as Exhibition Square in Khormaksar district.

With the help and support of the UAE, the STC was formed on 11 May 2017 with al-Zoubaidi as its leader. Immediately, President Hadi called the council illegitimate.

Beginning on 28 January 2018, separatists loyal to the STC seized control of the Yemeni government headquarters in Aden in a coup d'état against the Hadi government.

In January 2018, as the head of the STC, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi announced a state of emergency in Aden and that "the STC has begun the process of overthrowing Hadi's rule over the South".

On 27 August 2019, tensions continued to escalate in southern Yemen after the UAE-backed Security Belt Forces (SBF) lost territories to troops loyal to the Saudi-backed government of President Hadi. The troops advanced on the capital Aden and instead of engaging in street fighting, took positions outside of the city in order to prevent civilian casualties.

On 29 August 2019, to stop government forces from advancing and reclaiming the capital, the UAE carried out airstrikes on government positions outside of Aden, which killed and injured over 300 government soldiers.

Despite membership in the coalition fighting the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, the UAE fell out with Hadi's government after the former accused Hadi of aligning with the powerful Islah party, which the UAE viewed as ideologically close to the Muslim Brotherhood.

The STC declared self-governance on 26 April 2020. The government said local and security authorities in the provinces of Hadramawt, Abyan, Shabwa, al-Mahra, and the island of Socotra dismissed the move as a "clear and definite coup". In Aden, the movement's attempt was successful, as it occupied all governmental institutions.

To deal with the infighting between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council, a new cabinet was formed with the backing of neighbouring Saudi Arabia. The formation of the new unity government in December 2020, which includes equal numbers of representatives from each region of Yemen's northern and southern areas, was the result of over a year's worth of intense negotiations mediated by the Saudis, and was meant to end the infighting so that the two sides could fight together against the Houthi rebels in the ongoing civil war.

In April 2022, STC formally became part of the Presidential Leadership Council, the new governing body of the Republic of Yemen established after the resignation of the former president. STC head Aidarus al-Zoubaidi became the new Vice President. During the STC congress held between 4–8 May 2023, the "Southern National Pact" was adopted, demanding the incorporation of the Southern Movement in the Yemeni peace process under an "independent framework". Houthi insurgents vehemently denounced the congress and its resolutions. Nevertheless, STC managed to increase its share in the Presidential Leadership Council to three members out of the total eight seats.

In December 2023, the Southern Transitional Council reportedly said that it was willing to cooperate with Israel to fight against the Houthi ship attacks.

Goals

STC head Aidarus al-Zoubaidi has stated that the goal of the Southern Congress in May 2023 was to kickstart a national dialogue and reconciliation process, with the objective of strengthening Southern territories against Houthi aggression. STC has regularly raised the "southern question", advocating the Southern Movement's representation in the Yemeni peace process.

STC is strongly opposed to Iranian attempts to control the strategic Bab al-Mandeb strait and dominate the waterways of the Red Sea through its Houthi proxies. Describing themselves as secular nationalists opposed to theocratic system, Aidarous states regarding the May 2023 re-organization of the PLC:

"It was necessary to strengthen the cohesiveness of the south and prepare for any Houthi attacks. The Houthis are reinforcing themselves and could attack anytime... They live and they survive during war, not during peace."

See also

* Southern Movement
*Yemeni Socialist Party
* South Yemen insurgency

References

{{Yemeni Civil War (2015)

Arab separatism
Politics of Yemen
Yemeni crisis
2017 establishments in Yemen
Secessionist organizations
Separatism in Yemen