Aden (South24 Center)

Informed sources told South24 Center on Sunday (September 14) that regional mediation efforts have been ongoing for days to mend fractures within Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, following heightened tensions sparked by recent directives issued by Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, Vice President of the Council and head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

The sources indicated that these mediations aim to achieve preliminary consensus that would pave the way for a full council meeting in Saudi Arabia's capital Riyadh next Wednesday. The meeting is expected to address the ratification of Al-Zubaidi's decisions, provided no additional escalatory measures are taken.

On Wednesday (September 10), Al-Zubaidi had issued 14 appointment decisions, affecting ministries, government bodies, southern governorates, and the oil sector, in a move described as unprecedented since the council's formation in April 2022.

The decisions coincided with a strongly worded political statement from the STC accusing influential forces of attempting to marginalize the South, withhold employee salaries, and obstruct the 2019 Riyadh Agreement.

However, the STC later issued a second statement affirming its support for Yemen's internationally recognized government, clarifying that Al-Zubaidi's decisions fall within "activating state institutions" and enhancing national partnership.

Regional mediation efforts are likely to focus on establishing practical formulas to restore trust among the council components and activate institutional coordination mechanisms, while ensuring the council's continuity as a unifying framework against the Houthis.

These efforts may include discussing mechanisms for addressing sensitive sovereign and administrative files, primarily appointments and economic reforms—in ways that respect internal council balances.

Al-Zubaidi departed Aden yesterday for Abu Dhabi, according to a South24 source, while local media reported Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad Al-Alimi's departure for Riyadh.

The recent disagreements are not unprecedented: In June, council member Tariq Saleh accused Al-Alimi of marginalizing his role, while STC Negotiations Unit head Nasser Al-Khobaji stated at the February 2025 Amman International Forum that the council still lacks clear executive regulations defining its authorities.

While no official comment has been issued by other council members, all attention now turns toward the Riyadh meeting, which will prove a crucial test for a presidential council that southerners say has yet to meet their aspirations.