Aden (South24 Center)

Southern Transitional Council (STC) leader Rajeh Bakrit accused Saudi authorities on Thursday (November 5) of detaining an STC delegation that arrived in Riyadh in early January, confiscating its members' phones, and subjecting them to interrogation. Meanwhile, Abdulnasser Al-Wali, an STC leader still in the Saudi capital, called for the delegation to be allowed to return to Aden after ten months, saying their prolonged stay had not been voluntary.

In a Facebook post, Bakrit, a member of the STC Presidium and former governor of Al-Mahra, said the delegation traveled to Riyadh on January 7 in response to an invitation from the office of Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman, following instructions from STC President Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, with the aim of containing the escalation and halting attacks on Southern military camps.

Bakrit said the delegation was surprised upon arriving at Riyadh airport when its members' phones were confiscated for four days, and they were interrogated at a State Security facility and subjected to restrictions on their freedom. He maintained that the remaining delegation members were still being detained.

He explained that the Saudi invitation, dated January 5, 2026, acknowledged the legitimacy of the Southern cause and included commitments to supporting Southern aspirations. It also requested that STC leaders arrive in Riyadh within 48 hours to discuss political and military developments.

Bakrit called for an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the delegation's treatment and for the restrictions imposed on its members to be lifted, arguing that their continued detention contradicted Saudi calls for dialogue and confidence-building.

In an earlier statement on Tuesday (November 3), Bakrit claimed that the announcement dissolving the STC in Riyadh on January 9 had been made under pressure and coercion and did not reflect the free will of the delegation's members.

Bakrit himself was among the delegation members who traveled to Riyadh in January before leaving Saudi territory in early August and returning to Al-Mahra Governorate. According to sources close to the STC, he managed to leave the Kingdom across the border through an irregular route after spending several months in Riyadh.

Media reports at the time presented conflicting accounts of his departure, with some suggesting that he had left without the knowledge of Saudi authorities, while others claimed he had obtained permission to depart.

In a related development, Abdulnasser Al-Wali, a former Minister of Civil Service and an STC leader currently in Riyadh, called on Saudi authorities to allow him and his colleagues to return to Aden, stressing that their prolonged absence from the South over the past ten months had not been voluntary.

In a statement published on Thursday evening, Al-Wali said: "Staying away from Aden for all this time was not our choice," arguing that the delegation's return had become increasingly urgent amid developments in South Yemen.

Al-Wali reaffirmed his commitment to the right of Southerners to determine their own future while emphasizing the importance of maintaining relations with Saudi Arabia and resolving differences through dialogue and mutual understanding rather than coercion or the imposition of a fait accompli.

The statements have renewed controversy over the circumstances surrounding the STC delegation's presence in Riyadh since January 7, when its members arrived for Saudi-sponsored consultations. Two days later, some delegation members announced the dissolution of the STC, including all its bodies and offices, a move rejected by the council's leadership in Aden and several other Southern governorates.

In a report published on January 9, South24 Center revealed, citing a source within the delegation, that members' phones had been confiscated to prevent them from being influenced by outside parties. The report also stated that the dissolution announcement followed understandings reached with Saudi officials, while STC leaders in Aden accused Riyadh of detaining the delegation.

In April, however, South24 Center quoted Bakrit himself as denying reports that the delegation was being detained. He maintained at the time that its members were staying in Riyadh voluntarily to complete political assignments, a position that contrasts with his latest statements.

The Saudi Press Agency published the announcement dissolving the STC on January 9, while Saudi Defense Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman described the decision at the time as a positive step toward a comprehensive Saudi-sponsored Southern dialogue conference.

No new Saudi response to Bakrit's accusations or Al-Wali's demands had been announced at the time of writing. The nature of the restrictions currently imposed on the delegation members could not be independently verified.