Aden (South24 Center)

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Thursday (January 15) called for a mass rally at Al-Aroud Square in the capital, Aden, on Friday (January 16) at 3:00 PM. The call came following an appeal by STC President Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, in his first public move after days of absence that sparked widespread controversy in political and media circles.

The Executive Body of the STC's Local Leadership in Aden stated that the call was issued in response to what it described as a "national duty" and to reaffirm support for Al-Zubaidi’s Constitutional Declaration, which it considers a safe national path toward restoring Southerners' rights and building an independent federal South state.

The call outlined several messages, most notably emphasizing that the will of the people of the South represents the sole source of legitimacy, and demanding the immediate and unconditional release of the STC delegation currently in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

This call comes at a time when Al-Zubaidi has returned to the forefront of the political scene after around eight days of absence, amid conflicting reports regarding his whereabouts and accounts suggesting he had left the country due to escalating political and security tensions in South Yemen.

In response to those reports, the STC has confirmed on multiple occasions that Al-Zubaidi is inside the country. This was emphasized by the STC spokesperson, Anwar Al-Tamimi, who told "Al-Mashhad" channel on Wednesday (January 14) that Al-Zubaidi "is present inside and has not left."

These statements followed local reports discussing political and security pressures on the STC delegation in Saudi Arabia, described as reaching the level of coercion, amid sharp disagreements over arrangements for the coming phase and the path for restructuring military and security forces in South Yemen. 

However, members of the delegation denied these allegations, stating that their moves in Riyadh, including the announcement of dissolving the STC on January 9, were made of their own volition.

The call for the mass rally in Aden comes amid a tense political and security environment in several Southern governorates, including Hadramout, Al-Mahra, and Shabwa, which are witnessing a redeployment of Saudi-backed forces.

Saudi Arabia also sent a military delegation to Aden, which met with officers from the Southern forces. Saudi officer Fallah Al-Shahrani pledged to contain the Southern force formations, stating there is no intention to target or exclude them.\

 Read more at: Saudi Military Delegation Meets Southern Military Leaders in Aden