Supporters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a coalition of separatist groups seeking to restore the state of South Yemen, hold South Yemeni flags during a rally in Aden, Yemen, on Friday.
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ADEN, Yemen — Yemen's separatist movement on Friday announced a constitution for an independent state in the south and demanded that other factions in the war-torn country accept the move as part of an escalating confrontation that has pitted powerful Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against each other.
The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council called the declaration a declaration of independence for the south. But it was not immediately clear whether the move could be implemented or whether it was largely symbolic. Last month, militants linked to the STC seized control of two southern provinces from Saudi-backed forces and seized the presidential palace in the main southern city of Aden. Members of the internationally recognized government based in Aden fled to the Saudi capital, Riyadh.
On Friday, Saudi warplanes bombed camps and military positions held by the STC in Hadhramaut province as Saudi-backed militants tried to seize the sites, a separatist spokesman said. It was the latest direct intervention by Saudi Arabia, which has bombed STC forces in recent weeks and is said to have targeted a shipment of Emirati weapons destined for the separatists.
Allegedly, Saudi Arabia, the UAE and their allies on the ground in Yemen were part of a Saudi-led coalition fighting Iran-backed Houthi rebels who control the north of the country in a decade-long civil war. The coalition's stated goal has long been to restore the internationally recognized government that was ousted from the north by the Houthis. But tensions between the factions and the two Gulf countries appear to be rocking the coalition, threatening to plunge them into direct conflict and further split the Arab world's poorest country.
Statement by southern separatists
STC chief Aidarous al-Zubayd released a video statement on Friday saying the constitution adopted by his group would last for two years, after which a referendum would be held on “the exercise of the right of self-determination of the peoples of the South.” According to him, during these two years, “relevant parties” in the north and south of Yemen should hold a dialogue on “ways and mechanisms to guarantee the rights of the peoples of the South.”
He said that if other factions did not agree to his call or took military action, “all options would remain open.”
The 30-article “Constitution” proclaimed the creation of the “State of South Arabia”, covering the same territory of the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, an independent southern state that existed from 1967 to 1990.
This seemed to be the most obvious step on the part of the UTS towards the long-proclaimed goal of independence. In the confusion that has reigned in the south in recent weeks, it was unclear what practical consequences this would have. But the declaration could hamper efforts to prevent open conflict between the separatists and the rest of the Saudi-led coalition.
The UAE Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Friday that the country was handling the situation “with restraint, coordination and a conscious commitment to de-escalation, guided by a foreign policy that consistently prioritizes regional stability over impulsive actions.”
Saudi warplanes strike as fighting continues in the south
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen is demanding the withdrawal of STC-affiliated Southern Shield forces from two provinces they captured, Hadhramaut and Mahra, as part of de-escalation efforts. The STC still refuses to hand over its weapons and camps.
Saudi-backed militants known as the National Shield Force were advancing on two STC camps in Hadhramaut, said senior STC official Ahmed bin Braik, a former provincial governor. Separatist forces refused to leave, he said, and Saudi planes responded by striking the camps.
Mohamed al-Nakib, a spokesman for STC-backed forces, said the strikes killed people, without giving details. The Associated Press could not independently verify this claim.
Later on Friday, he told the AP that “intense clashes” had broken out between his forces and National Shield forces in several areas of Hadramout.
It is unclear whether Saudi-backed forces were able to retake the camps.
Salem al-Khanbashi, the governor of Hadhramaut, who was chosen Friday by Yemen's internationally recognized government to command Saudi-led forces in the province, said the move to return the camps “is not a declaration of war and is not intended to escalate.” He said it was a “preventative measure to remove weapons.”
Escalation of tensions
In a post on X, Saudi Arabia's ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed al-Jaber, said the kingdom had been making “every effort with the STC” for weeks to “stop the escalation” and call on the separatists to leave Hadhramaut and Mahra, but had faced “constant intransigence and rejection from Aidarus al-Zubaidi.”
Al-Jaber said the STC did not allow the Saudi delegation's plane to land in Aden, despite agreeing with some STC leaders upon arrival to find a solution that would serve “everyone and the public interest.”
Yemen's Transport Ministry, which is working with the STC, said Saudi Arabia on Thursday introduced requirements that flights to and from Aden International Airport be screened in Jeddah. The ministry condemned this decision. There was no confirmation from the Saudi Arabian authorities.
A Transport Ministry spokesman told the AP late Thursday that all flights to and from the UAE have been suspended until Saudi Arabia lifts the measures.
