Aden (South24 Center)

The headquarters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Mukalla, Hadramout Governorate, was reopened on Saturday (April 12) after being closed for several days. The reopening saw a broad administrative presence from STC departments, along with the display of portraits of its president, Aidarous Al-Zubaidi.

This step followed understandings led by a mediation committee between the STC and the local authority, represented by the Governor of Hadramout and member of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Salem Al-Khanbashi.

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Reopening of the Southern Transitional Council headquarters in Mukalla, Hadramout#south24 pic.twitter.com/AzkuvlmTxY

— South24 | English (@South24E) April 12, 2026

The reopening coincided with a period of calm following a massive peaceful rally in Mukalla on April 4, which resulted in the deaths of two people and the injury of four others due to security forces’ gunfire.

In this context, the STC announced the suspension of a protest event scheduled for April 10 after reaching understandings led by the “Hadrami Consensus Authority.”

According to the Council, these understandings included the release of detainees held in connection with recent events, the cancellation of arrest warrants against STC leaders, the reopening of headquarters, and allowing peaceful expression.

#BREAKING

Local Source: Reopening of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) headquarters in Mukalla and the raising of images of President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, with a broad administrative presence of the Council's departments#south24 pic.twitter.com/S4daaPCVUd

— South24 | English (@South24E) April 12, 2026

For its part, the Consensus Authority, headed by Mohammed Al-Basiri, confirmed that a meeting with the STC leadership in Hadramout led to a de-escalation agreement, which was welcomed by Governor Al-Khanbashi.

The reopening of the headquarters indicates a relative breakthrough in political tensions in the governorate, following the security escalation that trailed recent protests and the subsequent restrictive measures.

In a related context, STC-supporting protesters reopened three Council headquarters in Aden on April 1 after they had been forcibly closed since last February.

Those headquarters included the National Assembly, the General Directorate of Foreign Affairs, and the General Secretariat. Protesters raised Al-Zubaidi’s portraits despite security measures that attempted to prevent the activity.

These developments come amid escalating Southern protests rejecting the closure of the Council’s offices, viewing it as political suppression and a targeting of grassroots will, while reaffirming their commitment to continued peaceful expression.