Yemeni Government Claims Control of Southern Areas from Separatist STC

Yemeni Government Forces Regain Control of Southern Provinces

The internationally recognized government of Yemen has announced that it has recaptured control of the provinces of Hadramout and al-Mahra from the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). According to Rashad al-Alimi, chief of the Presidential Leadership Council, all contested cities have been brought under government control.

Al-Alimi made the announcement in a televised statement on Saturday. He stated that the recapture was a result of efforts by government forces, backed by Saudi Arabia, to drive the STC out of southern and eastern Yemen. The STC had taken over the provinces of Hadramout and al-Mahra at the end of last year.

Thousands of Yemenis took to the streets in Aden on Saturday to show support for the STC, with protesters chanting slogans against Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government. The crowd waved the flag of the former South Yemen, which was an independent state between 1967 and 1990.

A delegation from the STC had announced earlier that day that it would dissolve the group due to internal disagreements and mounting regional pressure. However, this announcement has been disputed by some members of the group, highlighting internal divisions within the STC.

The Yemeni government has called for a conference in Riyadh to discuss the future of South Yemen and potential plans to end violence and instability in the region. The conference is expected to bring together leaders from southern parts of Yemen to develop a new roadmap for the area.

Source: Al Jazeera