CAIRO (AP) — Yemen’s main separatist group and its institutions will disband on Friday, its secretary-general said, a day after its leader fled to the United Arab Emirates after weeks of unrest in southern Yemen.
Abdulrahman Jalal al-Sebashi said the Southern Transitional Council would close all institutions and offices inside and outside Yemen, citing growing internal divisions and regional pressure.
But the decision was questioned by the council’s spokesman, Anwar al-Tamimi, who said on X that only a full council under its chairman could take such measures, underscoring divisions within the separatist movement.
Yemen has been mired in civil war for more than a decade, involving a complex interplay of sectarian and tribal grievances and the involvement of regional powers.
The Iran-aligned Houthis control the country’s most populous north, including the capital Sanaa. Meanwhile, a loose alliance of regional powers, including Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, has backed the internationally recognized government of the south.
Separatists seize territory, then lose it
Last month, STC forces advanced into Hadramawt and Al-Mahra provinces, seizing oil-rich areas and facilities, as well as the presidential palace in the main southern city of Aden. The moves ousted the Saudi-allied National Shield and brought tensions between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi into the open.
Saudi-backed forces have since regained control of Hadramout, the presidential palace in Aden and al-Mahra camp.
Explaining the dissolution of the strategic council, Sebaishi said the council had not approved military action, which he said undermined unity in the south and “damaged relations with the Saudi-led coalition.”
As a result, “the continued existence of the commission no longer serves the purpose for which it was established,” Sebaich said.
The STC was founded in April 2017 as an umbrella organization for groups seeking to restore southern Yemen to an independent state (as it was from 1967 to 1990).
Sebahi said the group’s members would now focus on achieving a “fair” solution for southern Yemen and prepare for a meeting in the Saudi capital.
Saudi victory
Saudi officials welcomed the announcement that the Saudi Border Council’s military operations on Saudi Arabia’s borders were seen as a threat to the country’s national security.
Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman said the southern issue was now on a “real path fostered by the Kingdom and supported by the international community.” Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, called the decision “brave” and said the Riyadh meeting would include all influential southern figures. The date of the meeting has not yet been announced.
Yemen’s Shura Council, which is backed by the internationally recognized government, also welcomed the STC’s decision and said the southern issue should be resolved through a “comprehensive political process.”
Abdulsalam Mohammed, director of the Abad Research Center in Yemen, said on Friday that Saudi Arabia had successfully controlled the situation on the ground.
“Riyadh has proven that it will not allow any foreign interference to change the Yemen road map by supporting one side over the other, especially if force is used and chaos continues to threaten the security of Yemen, the region and the world,” he said in comments by X.
Separatist leaders flee to United Arab Emirates
The STC’s announcement comes a day after its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, fled Yemen for the United Arab Emirates.
The Presidential Leadership Council said the STC leader was charged with treason on Wednesday after reportedly refusing to travel to Saudi Arabia for a meeting and deploy STC troops to al-Dahle, where his village is located.
The STC National Assembly called for marches to be held on Saturday in Aden and the port city of Mukalla in Hadramaut in support of southern Yemen’s “right to self-determination” and in support of al-Zubaidi. However, it is unclear whether the march will continue after the committee announced its dissolution.
A curfew earlier imposed in Aden due to the security situation had been lifted on Friday, said Abu Zarae Al-Mahremy, a member of the Presidential Leadership Council that oversees security in Aden.
Yemen is located on the southern edge of the Arabian Peninsula, bordering the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden. The civil war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including militants and civilians. It has also caused one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.