The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) claims full control of southern Yemen, including Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized government.
STC official Amr al-Bidh said its forces now oversee all eight southern governorates and are consolidating power to stabilize the region and counter the Houthis.
“We are concentrating on unifying the operational theatre of our armed forces to enhance coordination and readiness to reinforce stability and security in the south, as well as combatting the Houthis should there be a willingness to head in this direction,” al-Bidh said.
Reports say the move could pave the way for the South to declare independence, potentially restoring Yemen to two separate states for the first time since 1990.
Yemen’s Presidential Council head Rashad al-Alimi, who briefed diplomats in Riyadh on Sunday, said Monday that the STC’s actions in the south “undermine the legitimacy of the internationally recognised government” and breach power-sharing agreements.
A UAE official told Reuters on Monday that the country’s position on Yemen “is in line with Saudi Arabia in supporting a political process” based on Gulf-backed initiatives and United Nations resolutions. The official did not comment directly on the STC’s actions in southern Yemen.
