Name: Yemen separatists: Southern Transitional Council announces dissolution
Uploaded: 2026-01-09T15:35:54.220Z
Duration: 3 min 6 s
Description: Forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government of Yemen are sending reinforcements to areas once controlled by separatist troops loyal to the Southern Transitional Council backed by the UAE. But the recent spate of violence in Southern Yemen has its roots in events which began more than a decade ago.

Forces loyal to the Saudi-backed government of Yemen are sending reinforcements to areas once controlled by separatist troops loyal to the Southern Transitional Council backed by the UAE. But the recent spate of violence in Southern Yemen has its roots in events which began more than a decade ago.

Sana'a

The Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group in southern Yemen, has announced its dissolution after a series of escalations involving attacks on government forces and intervention by the Saudi-led coalition. The STC, backed by the United Arab Emirates, had sought to reestablish the South Republic but faced increased pressure following its recent offensives in Hadramaut and Al-Mahra provinces.

Saudi Arabia responded to the STC's actions by targeting weapons shipments and issuing ultimatums to Emirati troops, while inviting separatist leaders to crisis talks in Riyadh. Although some southern leaders attended, STC leader Aida Rousa Zubaydi refused. The situation remains complex as Saudi Arabia attempts to forge a new peace plan, with lasting stability dependent on reconciliation between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government.

Yemen separatists: Southern Transitional Council announces dissolution

This is 2011. Protesters pour into the cities of Yemen calling for President Ali Abdullah Saleh's departure. Saleh had been in power for more than three decades, but he was starting to lose his grip. A rebellion led by the Houthis in the north was gaining momentum. Separatists in the south wanted to break away from the north. Al-Qaeda was expanding. Yemen, a poor country, was on the verge of a civil war. Saleh stepped down in 2012. The UN oversaw a fragile transition to democracy. Two years later, the Houthi rebels took over the capital Sana'a in a surprise attack. The UN-backed government led by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi was forced to relocate to Aden. Saudi Arabia led a coalition against Houthi troops as they advanced towards the south. Hadi found himself isolated. The secessionists were building a larger alliance, calling for the South Republic that existed until 1990 to be reinstated. In 2017, the Southern Transitional Council, or the STC, was established, its aim creating the state of South Arabia. Aida Rousa Zubaydi rallied thousands of people in Aden, Lachsh, Daleh, Abiyan, Shabwa, Hadramaut and Al-Mahra. Backed by the United Arab Emirates, he launched an attack on government forces in August 2018. A year later, forces loyal to Hadi were evicted out of Aden. A deal signed in Riyadh ended the fighting but Al-Zubaydi became the most powerful man in the south. In December 2025, STC forces launched an attack to capture Hadramaut and Al-Mahra provinces. The Saudi-led coalition stepped in. Its fighter jets bombed weapons shipments sent by the UAE to the STC. The Saudis issued an ultimatum to Emirate troops to pull out of South Yemen and invited the separatists to join troops in Riyadh to end the crisis. Al-Zubaydi refused to attend. His supporters remain defiant. They say secession is inevitable. But many Southerners, including this man, Abd al-Rahman al-Mahrami, went to Riyadh. Al-Mahrami leads the powerful Giants Brigade, an elite force now in control of Aden. For now, Saudi Arabia faces the delicate task of putting together a new roadmap for Yemen. But peace may remain elusive unless the Houthis, who control northern Yemen, and Rashad al-Aleemi, who leads the internationally recognized Presidential Leadership Council, or PLC, set aside their differences.

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