Southern Transitional Council facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Southern Transitional Council
المجلس الانتقالي الجنوبي
al-Majlis al-Intiqālī l-Janūbiyy |
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| Abbreviation | STC |
| Leader | Aidarus al-Zoubaidi |
| Founded | 11 May 2017 |
| Headquarters | Aden, Yemen |
| Military wing | Security Belt |
| Ideology | South Yemeni nationalism Separatism Secularism Anti-Axis of Resistance |
| National affiliation | Southern Movement |
The Southern Transitional Council (STC; Arabic: المجلس الانتقالي الجنوبي, romanized: al-Majlis al-Intiqālī l-Janūbiyy) is a group in southern Yemen that wants the southern part of the country to become a separate nation again. It has 26 members, including leaders from five southern areas and two government ministers. The STC was formed in 2017 by a part of the Southern Movement. It works towards southern Yemen becoming independent, just as it was before 1990.
The council was officially announced on May 11, 2017. Its leader is Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, who used to be the governor of Aden Governorate. Hani Bin Breik, a former government minister, is the vice-president. The idea for the council came about a week earlier, after a large protest in Aden. This protest happened because al-Zoubaidi was removed from his job as governor. The STC is a major group in the Yemeni Civil War and says it controls most of southern Yemen.
In April 2022, the STC joined the Presidential Leadership Council. This happened after the Yemeni President, Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, stepped down and gave his powers to this new group. The STC leader, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, became the Vice President of the new government. The STC gained more power in the council by having three out of its eight members, after some changes in May 2023.
How the STC Started
On April 27, 2017, President Hadi removed Aidarus al-Zoubaidi from his position as governor of Aden. This was because al-Zoubaidi had strong connections with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). President Hadi said the UAE was "acting like occupiers" in Aden. Many people in Aden were upset by this decision and held large protests to support al-Zoubaidi, who was very popular.
| Aden Historic Declaration إعلان عدن التاريخي Iʿlān ʿAdan at-Tārīḵiyy |
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[[image:
 The text of the document in Arabic
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| Location | Freedom square, Khormaksar district. Aden |
| Purpose | Delegating M. General Aidarus al-Zoubaidi to declare a national political leadership to administer and represent the South |
On May 4, 2017, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi gave a speech that the STC calls the "Aden Historic Declaration." He gave this speech in Aden's Freedom Square, which is in the Khormaksar district.
With help from the UAE, the STC was officially formed on May 11, 2017, with al-Zoubaidi as its leader. President Hadi immediately said the new council was not legal.
Major Events and Conflicts
Starting on January 28, 2018, groups loyal to the STC took control of the Yemeni government's main offices in Aden. This was like a takeover against President Hadi's government.
In January 2018, Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, as the head of the STC, announced a state of emergency in Aden. He said that the STC had started to remove Hadi's control over the South.
On August 27, 2019, fighting continued to grow in southern Yemen. The Security Belt Forces (SBF), supported by the UAE, lost some areas to troops loyal to President Hadi's government, which was backed by Saudi Arabia. Hadi's troops moved towards Aden but stayed outside the city to avoid harming civilians.
On August 29, 2019, the UAE launched airstrikes on government positions outside Aden. This was to stop Hadi's forces from taking back the capital. These airstrikes killed and injured over 300 government soldiers.
Even though the UAE was part of the group fighting the Houthi rebels, it disagreed with Hadi's government. The UAE believed Hadi was working with a powerful group called the Islah party, which the UAE saw as similar to the Muslim Brotherhood.
The STC declared that it would govern itself on April 26, 2020. However, local leaders and security groups in several areas, like Hadramawt and Socotra, said this was a "clear and definite coup" (an illegal takeover). In Aden, the STC's attempt was successful, and it took over all government buildings.
To stop the fighting between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council, a new government was formed in December 2020. This new government was supported by Saudi Arabia. It included an equal number of representatives from northern and southern Yemen. This agreement took over a year of talks, led by the Saudis. The goal was to end the internal fighting so both sides could work together against the Houthi rebels in the ongoing civil war.
In April 2022, the STC officially became part of the Presidential Leadership Council. This new governing body was created after the former president resigned. STC leader Aidarus al-Zoubaidi became the new Vice President. From May 4 to 8, 2023, the STC held a meeting where they adopted the "Southern National Pact." This document asked for the Southern Movement to be included in the Yemeni peace process as an independent group. Houthi rebels strongly criticized this meeting and its decisions. Despite this, the STC managed to increase its number of members in the Presidential Leadership Council to three out of eight seats.
In December 2023, the Southern Transitional Council reportedly said it was willing to work with Israel to fight against the Houthi attacks on ships.
What the STC Wants to Achieve
Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, the head of the STC, has said that the goal of the Southern Congress in May 2023 was to start talks and bring people together. The main aim was to make southern areas stronger against Houthi attacks. The STC often brings up the "southern question," pushing for the Southern Movement to be part of the Yemeni peace process.
The STC is strongly against Iran's attempts to control the important Bab al-Mandeb strait and the Red Sea waterways through its Houthi allies. The STC describes itself as a secular (not religious) nationalist group that is against religious governments. Aidarous explained about the changes to the PLC in May 2023:
"It was necessary to strengthen the cohesiveness of the south and prepare for any Houthi attacks. The Houthis are reinforcing themselves and could attack anytime... They live and they survive during war, not during peace."
See also
- Southern Movement
- Yemeni Socialist Party
- South Yemen insurgency
