Aden (South24) 

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Today, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) stressed the necessity of activating a negotiating framework for South Issue at all stages of the ongoing political process in Yemen. This announcement followed a meeting of the STC presidency held in Aden.

In a statement, the STC indicated that South Issue is a critical agenda that cannot be ignored in any political settlement, reiterating the right of the Southern people to self-determination and their aspirations for independence.

The STC called on all Yemeni and international parties to support these demands and recognize the legitimacy of South Issue, warning that ignoring it would complicate efforts to reach a comprehensive and sustainable solution to the conflict in Yemen.

"We call on the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) to implement the agreed-upon commitments, at the forefront of which is activating the joint negotiating team, to carry out its tasks directly, in the various political, economic, and military negotiation files and issues," the statement added.

The STC warned against "any delays or procrastination in implementing the commitments stipulated in the Riyadh consultations under the auspices of the Gulf Cooperation Council."

The final statement of the Riyadh consultations regarding its outcomes, in April 2022, which led to the formation of the PLC, included provisions for developing a negotiating framework for South Issue, and forming a joint negotiating delegation for anti-Houthi forces

So far, the joint negotiating delegation has not been activated. The STC accuses parties in the PLC of obstructing its activation, the members of which were already chosen a long time ago, according to an informed source speaking to the South24 Center.

The issue of South is a major political issue in Yemen stemming from the 1994 war following the collapse of unity between the state of South Yemen and the state of North Yemen, four years after its declaration in 1990.

Southerners demand the restoration of their independent state. The peaceful Southern Movement, also known as the Southern Hirak, led this political action from 2007 until the formation of the STC in 2017, which includes forces from the movement and other religious and tribal factions.