Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Friday announced the launch of a two-year transitional phase culminating in a referendum on self-determination for the south.
The announcement came after political tensions spiralled into clashes on the ground as Hadhramaut's governor, backed by the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) chief, launched a military operation to retake STC-held positions, risking internal bloodshed at a fragile moment.
The STC, an umbrella of powerful southern armed groups, said the transitional period would be used to agree “a clear path and mechanisms that guarantee the right of the southern people within a defined time frame”. Its statement added that the process would include a public vote.
“The transitional phase will be accompanied by a popular referendum regulating the exercise of the southern people’s right to self-determination, through peaceful and transparent mechanisms consistent with recognised international rules and practices, and with the participation of international observers,” the STC said.
It said the move was based on a popular mandate and growing risks facing the political partnership in Yemen, warning that failure to address southern demands could lead to further instability.
The STC also called on the international community to play a direct role in overseeing dialogue between the parties “south and north” to ensure the process remains peaceful and time-bound.
Yemen’s unity, declared in 1990, brought together two very different states whose divisions were never fully resolved. The north emerged from a 1962 uprising, while Britain’s 1967 withdrawal from Aden shaped the south.
The announcement is likely to deepen tensions within Yemen’s fractured anti-Houthi camp.
Earlier on Friday, Rashad Al Alimi, the PLC's chairman, assigned Salem Al Khonbashi, the governor of Hadhramaut, overall command of the Nation’s Shield Forces in the province.
Four of Yemen’s eight PLC members had already denounced Mr Al Alimi's announcements, accusing him of breaching the governing agreement, which explicitly stipulates that the PLC is a collective body whose decisions are taken by consensus, or by majority when consensus is not possible.
Mr Al Khonbashi, shortly after Mr Al Alimi’s statement, announced the launch of a military operation to retake positions from the STC. The move risks infighting and bloodshed after a series of events that have weakened the anti-Houthi front in the impoverished country.
“The operation is not a declaration of war, or an attempt to escalate tensions, but rather a precautionary measure,” he said in a statement published by Yemen's state news agency Saba.
STC Vice President Ahmed bin Breik responded by calling for a “general mobilisation of the southern people” to confront what he described as a “coming invasion”. Hours later, a spokesman for forces within the STC said “brave fighters of southern armed forces succeeded in repelling a large-scale attack”.
It was not immediately clear where the attack took place or whether it resulted in casualties.
The Hadhramaut governor later said that forces took control of the camp of the 37th Brigade, the largest in the province. The National was unable to independently verify the claims.
The spokesman of the Saudi-led coalition, Maj Gen Turki Al Malki, announced that the “Royal Saudi Naval Forces have completed their deployment in the Arabian Sea to carry out inspection and anti-smuggling operations”. The coalition has been inspecting vessels since 2015.
The STC, which seeks the restoration of an independent southern state, took control of Hadhramaut and Mahra from other pro-government forces, effectively consolidating its grip over all southern governorates.
It said the developments followed the failure of other pro-government factions to launch a serious campaign against the Iran-backed Houthis in their northern strongholds, including the capital, Sanaa.
Saudi Arabia, which hosts senior Yemeni government and PLC figures, condemned the STC’s takeover. The kingdom has led the anti-Houthi alliance since 2015, with the UAE playing a key role in halting the advance of the Iran-backed rebels, expelling them from the south and combating extremist groups such as Al Qaeda and ISIS.
Tensions took an unprecedented turn this week, marked by a Saudi strike on Emirati armoured vehicles in the southern port of Mukalla. It was followed by the UAE announcing the withdrawal of all its remaining counter-terrorism teams from the country.
“We have unfortunately faced a complete closure of all political doors and a deliberate rejection of any responsible solutions,” said Mr Al Khonbashi.
However, the STC said it was not closing the door to diplomacy, while holding the PLC chief and those providing him with political cover, foremost among them the Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islah party, responsible for any repercussions arising from such moves.
Abdallah Al Alimi, an Islah party figure and PLC member, said on X on Thursday that bloodshed could only be prevented by an STC withdrawal from Hadhramaut and Mahra.
Southern forces played a significant role in driving Houthi fighters out of southern Yemen, particularly in Aden, Lahj and parts of Abyan, during the early years of the war between 2015 and 2018.
Those battles prevented the Houthis from consolidating control over the south after their advance from Sanaa and allowed the internationally recognised government to re-establish a foothold in Aden. The STC later emerged as a political umbrella for many of the southern forces involved in those campaigns.
