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Southern Transitional Council
Armed faction in Yemeni Civil War From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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The Southern Transitional Council (STC; Arabic: المجلس الانتقالي الجنوبي, romanized: al-Majlis al-Intiqālī l-Janūbiyy) is a United Arab Emirates-backed political organization that is active in southern Yemen. It was formed by a faction of the Southern Movement. Established on 11 May 2017, it has called for the separation or the autonomy of southern Yemen from the rest of the nation, as it previously was before the Yemeni unification in 1990.
The council is headed by the former Governor of Aden Governorate, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, as chairman,[1] with former minister of state and militant Salafi Islamist, Hani Bin Breik, as vice-president.[3][4] The formation of the council was authorized a week earlier by the "Historic 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.[5][6][7][8] The 26 members of the STC include the governors of five southern governorates and two government ministers.
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.[9][10] The STC increased its influence in the council by enlarging its membership to three out of the eight, through internal reorganization in May 2023.[11]
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History
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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.[12] This was met with large demonstrations in the city in support of the deposed but popular Zoubaidi.[13]
In 4 May 2017, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi announced a speech which the STC describes as the "Aden Historic Declaration" (Arabic: إعلان عدن التاريخي, romanized: Iʿlān ʿAdan at-Tārīḵiyy). The speech was delivered in Aden's Freedom Square (Arabic: ساحة الحرية, romanized: sahat alhuriya), formerly known as Exhibition Square in Khormaksar district.[14][15]
With the help and support of the United Arab Emirates, the STC was formed on 11 May 2017 with al-Zoubaidi as its leader.[16] Immediately, President Hadi called the council illegitimate.[17][6][18][19]
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.[20][21]
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".[22]
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.[citation needed]
The STC declared self-governance on 26 April 2020.[23] 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".[24] In Aden, the movement's attempt was successful, as it occupied all governmental institutions.[25]
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.[26] 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.[27][28]
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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.[9][10] 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.[29]
In December 2023, the Southern Transitional Council reportedly said that it was willing to cooperate with Israel to fight against the Houthi ship attacks.[30]
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Human rights
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Amnesty International has reported a series of human rights concerns in areas under the control of the Southern Transitional Council (STC). Since 2023, the authorities in Aden have introduced restrictions on civil society organizations, requiring permits from STC-run bodies for public activities. According to Amnesty, these permit requirements often involved extensive reporting obligations and were sometimes used to limit funding or deny approval for organizations perceived as politically opposed to the STC.[31]
In some cases, events organized by non-governmental organizations were prevented from taking place, or were halted after approval had been granted. Venues were reportedly ordered to close events mid-way without explanation.[31] Civil society groups have also reported reduced access to funding and increased self-censorship in response to the restrictions.[31]
Human rights defenders and journalists have been targets of the STC’s security forces arbitrary detention. On 16 November 2023, lawyer Sami Yassin Ka’id Marsh was arrested by STC security forces as he was leaving work. He was detained without charge at the al-Nasr military camp, an unofficial facility, held incommunicado, and reportedly subjected to torture and prolonged solitary confinement. In March 2024, he was transferred to Aden's Bir Ahmad prison, where a leaked photograph showed him seriously ill in a hospital bed, raising concerns for his health and wellbeing. Amnesty International reported that he was subjected to torture and prolonged solitary confinement.[32]
On 26 May 2024, armed individuals affiliated with the STC and the Southern Women Union took control of the Yemeni Women Union centre in Aden, a shelter for survivors of gender-based violence. Staff and residents were expelled, and access to the premises was blocked.[33]
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References
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