Southern Yemen's independence dream takes hit as STC's grip falters.
The latest power struggle in the conflict-torn nation has taken a devastating turn. The Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist movement, had long touted secession from the rest of Yemen as its ultimate goal. Its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, even went so far as to advocate for a "two-state solution" at the United Nations General Assembly, suggesting that the best way forward for Yemen was to split into two separate entities: a federal republic in the north and an independent South Arabia.
But his ambitious bid has been dealt a crushing blow. Al-Zubaidi is now on the run, and forces loyal to the Yemeni government have taken control of much of southern Yemen, effectively ending the STC's de facto grip on the region. The movement's division is also evident, with some high-ranking officials shifting their allegiance to Saudi Arabia.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had long backed the STC's cause, has appeared to concede ground to its rival, Saudi Arabia. This shift suggests that the UAE is increasingly willing to accept Saudi Arabia as the primary foreign actor in Yemen, a significant blow to the southern separatists.
In light of this sudden reversal, secession now seems further away than ever. The STC's leadership is facing an uphill battle to regain control and restore its influence. Meanwhile, the Yemeni government is pushing ahead with plans to reorganize anti-Houthi military forces under its umbrella, a move that could potentially allow it to take on the Houthi rebels controlling the country's northwest region.
However, not everyone is convinced by this new trajectory. Hardline southern separatists remain committed to their cause, and there are concerns about potential insurgency in the future. The Yemeni government will have to prove its strength and legitimacy, particularly in convincing Saudi Arabia to back it fully, rather than just providing military support.
The path ahead for Yemen remains fraught with uncertainty. Will President Rashad al-Alimi be able to solidify his power and ensure the stability of the country? Or will the forces that propelled him into office also prove to be a source of instability?
The latest power struggle in the conflict-torn nation has taken a devastating turn. The Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist movement, had long touted secession from the rest of Yemen as its ultimate goal. Its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, even went so far as to advocate for a "two-state solution" at the United Nations General Assembly, suggesting that the best way forward for Yemen was to split into two separate entities: a federal republic in the north and an independent South Arabia.
But his ambitious bid has been dealt a crushing blow. Al-Zubaidi is now on the run, and forces loyal to the Yemeni government have taken control of much of southern Yemen, effectively ending the STC's de facto grip on the region. The movement's division is also evident, with some high-ranking officials shifting their allegiance to Saudi Arabia.
The United Arab Emirates (UAE), which had long backed the STC's cause, has appeared to concede ground to its rival, Saudi Arabia. This shift suggests that the UAE is increasingly willing to accept Saudi Arabia as the primary foreign actor in Yemen, a significant blow to the southern separatists.
In light of this sudden reversal, secession now seems further away than ever. The STC's leadership is facing an uphill battle to regain control and restore its influence. Meanwhile, the Yemeni government is pushing ahead with plans to reorganize anti-Houthi military forces under its umbrella, a move that could potentially allow it to take on the Houthi rebels controlling the country's northwest region.
However, not everyone is convinced by this new trajectory. Hardline southern separatists remain committed to their cause, and there are concerns about potential insurgency in the future. The Yemeni government will have to prove its strength and legitimacy, particularly in convincing Saudi Arabia to back it fully, rather than just providing military support.
The path ahead for Yemen remains fraught with uncertainty. Will President Rashad al-Alimi be able to solidify his power and ensure the stability of the country? Or will the forces that propelled him into office also prove to be a source of instability?
this whole southern yemen thing is so messy its like they took all the old power struggles and just mixed them together with some new stuff and hoped for the best. i mean aidarous al-zubaidi was already talking about a two-state solution at the un, which sounds nice on paper but in reality its just gonna be more of the same old fighting and bloodshed. uae and saudi arabia are basically playing a game of chess with each other now, and yemen is just caught in the middle 
i mean stc's whole goal was to get recognition as a separate state but now it seems like saudi arabia is stepping in and the UAE is backing out, what does that even mean for the south?! 
the stc was like, a whole thing, and now it's just another forgotten movement 
yemen's politics are always such a wild ride 
now the uae is playing both sides and saudi arabia is getting more involved that doesn't bode well for southern yemen's independence dream sadly i think secession is looking more and more unlikely 
And what about the Yemeni gov't? They're trying to reorganize their military forces, which is gonna be super interesting to watch. Will they be able to keep things stable or will this just create more problems? 
does anyone think rashad al-ali will really be able to pull off the stability thing ?? im guessing not 
the whole situation just feels so messy rn
. It's crazy how the STC's grip on southern Yemen faltered and now they're in disarray 
.
It's like, what's the plan now? Will the Yemeni government be able to stabilize the country or will it just lead to more chaos? 
.
. But honestly, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for a miracle here 
. Yemen deserves better than this uncertainty 
.