Aden (South24 Center) 

The Southern Transitional Council’s (STC) National Assembly headquarters in Tawahi district of the capital, Aden, was reopened Sunday (February 1), two days after it was closed by a military force that prevented staff and Assembly members from entering.

The reopening came following widespread protests and a mass street rally that moved through the Maalla and Tawahi districts.

#BREAKING

Video: A mass rally sets off from Al-Tawahi in Aden toward the Southern National Assembly headquarters, protesting the closure of the building #south24 pic.twitter.com/BBozEgvBGb

— South24 | English (@South24E) February 1, 2026

In the early morning hours of Sunday, citizens gathered in the vicinity of the Assembly building before launching a mass rally in response to calls issued by STC bodies in Aden.

Photos and videos showed a continuous gathering of participants, along with the raising of slogans demanding the protection of Southern institutions, and rejecting what participants described as "political targeting."

Following the reopening of the headquarters, activists shared images showing employees entering and resuming work inside the building.

An official source in the National Assembly told South24 Center on Saturday (January 31) that the Governor of Aden, Abdulrahman Sheikh, informed the Assembly's leadership that the headquarters would be opened from today.

The source described the closure decision, which was implemented on Thursday (January 29), as a "sudden measure," adding that the protest activity would go ahead in spite of the announcement of the opening, as an expression of rejection of the decision and an affirmation of the institution's protection.

#BREAKING

A mass rally sets off from Al-Tawahi in #Aden toward the Southern National Assembly headquarters in response to protest calls#south24 pic.twitter.com/Gy6eJpGv2m

— South24 | English (@South24E) February 1, 2026

In a statement issued Sunday, the National Assembly praised the wide participation in the protest and the mass rally, adding that the presence of the grassroots was an expression of categorical rejection of the decision to close its headquarters.

Read more at: STC Accuses Yemeni Leadership of Ordering Closure of its National Assembly in Aden

The Assembly stated that the demonstration ended with the reopening of the headquarters, describing it as a message that the Southern national institutions will remain protected by popular support.

It added that the mobilization sent a clear political message that overturned the closure decision, emphasizing that attempts at restriction or targeting will not prevent the people of the South from defending their institutions.

The Assembly also expressed its appreciation for the solidarity shown by people of the South at home and abroad, describing the closure step as an infringement on the will of the people of the South and a direct targeting of their representative institutions.

#BREAKING

Photos: The Southern National Assembly headquarters in Al-Tawahi, Aden, reopens for business, amidst the presence of employees and citizens supporters#south24 pic.twitter.com/Ib4k89ewsX

— South24 | English (@South24E) February 1, 2026

It stressed that any attempt to close the STC offices or restrict its political and institutional activity is rejected and will be met with widespread popular defiance.

The decision to close the headquarters had previously sparked statements of condemnation from STC bodies in Aden, Lahj, Dhalea, Shabwa, Al-Mahra, and Hadramout, which described the move as an attack on institutional work and a step that could threaten political stability.