Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council Announces Dissolution as Leader Reportedly Flees via Somalia to UAE

GOOBJOOG NEWS| RIYADH: Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council announced on Friday that it is dissolving, formally ending the political life of the powerful southern separatist movement after weeks of military escalation and mounting pressure from the Saudi-led coalition.

In a live TV statement from Saudi Arabia, members of the STC said they had not taken part in the decision that led to the group’s recent military operations in Hadramout and al-Mahra, acknowledging that the moves had backfired. The operations, they said, “harmed the southern cause,” a rare public admission of internal divisions within the group.

The statement added that the council had failed to achieve its core objectives since its formation, saying it had not “achieved its intended aims.” The STC was established in 2017 and had long pushed for autonomy or independence for southern Yemen, a region that was once a separate state before unification in 1990.

The dissolution follows a rapid deterioration of the STC’s position on the ground. Earlier this month, Saudi-backed government forces moved to roll back the group’s territorial gains in southern and eastern Yemen, triggering clashes and air operations that effectively neutralized the STC’s military momentum.

The announcement also comes amid reports that the STC’s leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, has left Yemen and traveled to the United Arab Emirates via Somalia, a development that has drawn attention from regional governments and raised questions about external involvement in the crisis.

Despite the collapse of the council, the statement struck a conciliatory tone toward ongoing diplomatic efforts. STC members expressed hope that an upcoming conference in Riyadh “will lead to a vision to resolve the southern cause,” and thanked Saudi Arabia for hosting the talks.

The dissolution of the STC marks a major shift in Yemen’s fractured political landscape, removing one of the most influential separatist actors from the scene. Analysts say the move could ease internal divisions within the anti-Houthi camp, but warn that unresolved southern grievances may continue to pose challenges unless addressed through the Riyadh-led political process.