Aden (South24)

On Thursday, Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Rashad Al-Alimi issued a decree to establish ‘the Central State Security Agency’ and merge all intelligence bodies affiliated with PLC members into this new entity. 

The decision, published by Saba News Agency, merges the Central Political Security Agency, the National Security Agency, and other intelligence bodies affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC), as well as the Republic Guards and Giants Brigades, into one intelligence entity under the name ‘the Central State Security Agency’. 

According to the statement, the headquarters of the new intelligence institution is based in Aden but is permitted to establish branches in other governorates. The agency is affiliated with the PLC and is responsible for implementing all tasks stipulated in the decision. Moreover, the PLC maintains responsibility for giving instructions to the Central State Security Agency. 

Furthermore, a new declaration was issued establishing a specialized security body named ‘the Counter Terrorism Agency’, which is based in Aden and is linked to the Head of the Higher Security Committee. The former director of Aden security, Major General Shalal Ali Shayea Hadi, was appointed head of the agency by the Presidential Council.

Major General Shalal Shayea had previously been serving as the Head of the Counterterrorism Agency in South Yemen after being appointed the role by STC President Major General Aidrous Al-Zubaidi in May 2021. 

These critical decisions followed a meeting of the PLC on Thursday which discussed numerous matters, including the political roadmap for Yemen submitted by Saudi Arabia and adopted by the United Nations. The meeting also addressed the recent Houthi escalations in the Red Sea and the Yemeni government’s commitment toward people in the areas it controls, as reported by Saba.