Aden (South24 Center)

The city of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa Governorate, witnessed on Thursday (December 18) a massive popular rally attended by thousands of citizens from various districts of the governorate. The rally was part of the ongoing Southern popular movement demanding the restoration of the South State and expressing support for the Southern Armed Forces.

Participants affirmed their commitment to the independence and restoration of the South State, stressing that the widespread popular movement across the Southern governorates reflects a growing popular will and a rejection of any unilateral or imposed solutions that do not represent the aspirations of the people of the South.

Earlier today, a similar mass rally was also held in Al-Oroud Square in the capital Aden, with broad popular participation, as part of the continuing Southern mobilization in support of Southern independence.

These rallies come amid the continuation of open-ended popular sit-ins that have been ongoing since early December in several Southern cities, most notably Aden, Dhalea, Mukalla, and Seiyun, where sit-in squares continue to witness large public presence in support of restoring the South State.

In a related context, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said he had just briefed the Security Council on the situation in Yemen following his visit to the region, including Saudi Arabia and Oman.

Guterres stated: “Tensions have been simmering across Yemen,” adding that “dramatic new developments in the eastern governorates are turning up the heat.”

He said: “Earlier this month, forces affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council – or STC – advanced on Hadramawt and al-Mahra.”

Addressing the Security Council, Guterres emphasized: “Unilateral actions will not clear a path to peace.”

He warned that such actions “deepen divisions, harden positions, and raise the risk of wider escalation and further fragmentation.”

The UN Secretary-General cautioned that “a full resumption of hostilities could have serious ramifications on regional peace and security – including on the Red Sea, in the Gulf of Aden, and in the Horn of Africa.”

Guterres stressed that “Yemen needs a sustainable, negotiated political settlement. One that embraces the aspirations of all Yemenis; and brings this devastating conflict to an end.”

It is worth noting that the Southern Transitional Council (STC) denied that its operation in Hadramawt and al-Mahra was unilateral, according to its official spokesperson, Anwar Al-Tamimi.

In press statements, Al-Tamimi said that four out of the eight members of the Presidential Leadership Council approved the operation, adding that a fifth member did not object to it.

He noted that the operation was necessary to secure the two governorates and to cut off routes used to smuggle weapons and drugs to the Houthis through land border crossings.