Seiyun (South24 Center)

A security force stormed the Southern Transitional Council (STC) headquarters in the city of Seiyun, Wadi Hadramout, on Monday (April 27), just hours after operations resumed and the local leadership held its first meeting following the reopening.

The STC Executive Body in Wadi Hadramout had earlier announced the resumption of activity at its Seiyun office. During its first meeting, it approved the organization of a mass public event on May 7, marking the anniversary of the STC’s founding and the historic Aden Declaration on May 4, 2017.

#BREAKING

A viral video shows individuals Ripping off the identification banners of the STC headquarters in Wadi Hadramout, Seiyun #south24 pic.twitter.com/uT2Hsc9tmX

— South24 | English (@South24E) April 27, 2026

However, local sources later reported that a security force raided the headquarters, removing South flags and identification banners from the building, and detaining an employee who was later released following the intervention of local authorities.

Circulating video footage showed individuals tearing down the headquarters’ identification banners, a move that sparked widespread anger among the Council’s supporters.

In a subsequent statement, the STC in Wadi Hadramout said its office had been subjected to “vandalism, tampering, and the confiscation of its contents” by a security force and armed groups, describing the incident as a “violation of political activity.”

The statement added that the storming involved “acts of destruction and looting of equipment and contents,” calling it a “blatant violation of the freedom of political and organizational work and an infringement on the will of the masses.”

The Council warned that the continuation of such practices could lead to “widespread public escalation,” stressing that what happened “will not deter the people of Hadramout from adhering to their political choices.”

These developments come amid rising tensions in Wadi Hadramout. Activists circulated video clips they said showed the return of what is known as the “Northern Emergency Forces” to the First Military District in Seiyun.

At the same time, preparations are ongoing across the Southern governorates to mark the ninth anniversary of the “Aden Declaration,” with the STC approving organizational and field programs, including events in Aden, Mukalla, and Seiyun in Hadramout.

The STC headquarters in Mukalla (Hadramout Coast) was reopened on April 12 after being closed for several days, following understandings brokered by a mediation committee between the Council and the local authority. This came after a peaceful demonstration in the city on April 4 in support of the STC, which resulted in two deaths and four injuries due to security forces’ gunfire.

On April 1, protesters reopened three STC headquarters in Aden that had been forcibly closed since last February: the General Assembly headquarters, the Foreign Affairs Department, and the General Secretariat.