Yemen’s STC announces dissolution of all bodies, ends operations

ISTANBUL

Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) announced the dissolution of all its political, executive and organizational bodies, formally ending its structure and activities both inside the country and abroad.

The announcement was made in a recorded statement broadcast by Yemen’s state-run television and carried by the Saba News Agency, in which Ahmed Saeed bin Brik, secretary-general of the STC’s presidency body before its dissolution, read out the decision.

“We announce the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council, the dissolution of all its main and subsidiary bodies and institutions, and the closure of all its offices at home and abroad,” bin Brik said, adding that the move aims to pave the way for preparations for a comprehensive southern dialogue conference under Saudi Arabia’s sponsorship.

He said the decision came in response to recent developments in the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and ahead of participation in a planned southern dialogue conference set to be held in Riyadh.

Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia invited all southern Yemeni political components to take part in a conference aimed at reaching a comprehensive and just framework for resolving the southern issue. The initiative followed a request by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi and received broad regional backing.

Bin Brik said the STC had not been involved in the decision to launch military operations in Hadramout and Al-Mahra, describing the moves as harmful to southern unity and damaging to relations with the Saudi-led coalition.

He added that continuing the council’s existence no longer served the purpose for which it was established, representing southern aspirations and working toward the restoration of the south’s statehood, stressing that holding onto the council was never meant to be a path to power or unilateral decision-making.

The STC welcomed what it described as Saudi Arabia’s “clear and explicit commitments” toward the southern issue, praising Riyadh’s role in sponsoring dialogue efforts and seeking solutions that reflect the will of the southern population.

It also called on political figures and influential leaders in southern Yemen to engage in the upcoming comprehensive dialogue, expressing hope that the talks would produce a unified southern framework and a shared vision for addressing the issue.

Separately, the STC’s National Assembly issued a statement urging supporters to take part in demonstrations planned for Saturday in Aden and Mukalla, rejecting what it described as “partial or evasive solutions” to the southern cause.

Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman welcomed the dissolution of the STC, describing it as a “courageous step” toward safeguarding the future of the southern issue, and said the move would help pave the way for inclusive southern dialogue under Saudi sponsorship, according to remarks posted on the US social media company X.

North and South Yemen were unified on May 22, 1990, forming the Republic of Yemen. More than three decades later, the question of southern identity and governance remains one of the country’s most volatile fault lines.