Riyadh (South24 Center)

The Chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad al-Alimi, has issued new decrees involving leadership changes in Southern military brigades, raising renewed questions regarding the nature of the ongoing transformations within the military structure in South Yemen.

According to a document dated April 18 and circulated on Wednesday, Al-Alimi dismissed Raed Al-Habhi, one of the commanders of the Southern Giants Forces, from his post as commander of the 6th Infantry Brigade. Akram Fouad Mohammed Awadh Abdullah was appointed as his successor, while Baqi Saleh Salem Al-Humaidi was appointed chief of operations of the brigade and promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel.

Another memorandum dated May 11 revealed new appointments within the leadership of the 33rd Armored Brigade in Al-Dhalea. The changes included the appointment of Brigadier General Wajdi Abdulbaqi Saleh as brigade commander, Colonel Ahmed Ali Saleh as chief of staff, and Colonel Bassam Saif Al-Ahmadi as chief of operations.

These decisions come months after similar changes affected Southern military and security formations, including the appointment of new leadership for the “Nation’s Shield” (Deraa Al-Watan) forces. The moves are part of the military and security arrangements taking place across Southern governorates since the beginning of this year.

The latest decrees have sparked debate among Southern activists and politicians, especially as most of the changes focused on military formations categorized within the Southern forces linked to PLC member and commander of the Southern Giants Forces, Abdulrahman Al-Muharrami.

This comes amid the continued absence of Major General Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Supreme Commander of the Southern Armed Forces, from the scene since last January.

Questions have also been raised regarding the nature of these decisions and Saudi Arabia’s role in them, as well as whether they were issued in direct coordination with the leadership of the Southern Giants Forces.

Al-Muharrami, who has been based in Riyadh for months, is described as the “Commander-in-Chief of the Southern Armed Forces”, while Al-Zubaidi is referred to as the “Supreme Commander of the Southern Armed Forces”. The distinction appears to reflect an arrangement of roles aimed at maintaining the continuity and organization of these forces amid the ongoing disagreements between Saudi Arabia and the STC.

On May 14, Al-Muharrami also issued directives to disburse financial support to the families of martyrs, the wounded, and members of the Southern forces on the occasion of Eid al-Adha.

In a previous report, South24 Center tracked a series of military and security movements and changes in the Southern governorates since January 2026 under Saudi supervision. These included the redeployment of forces, the reclassification of certain security and military formations, changes in field leadership, and the strengthening of the “Nation’s Shield” forces’ presence in Aden, Lahj, Abyan, and Shabwa.

The report indicated that these transformations followed Operation “Promising Future” and the events witnessed in Hadramout and Al-Mahra in late 2025 and early 2026, amid interpretations linking these developments to attempts to rearrange the balance of power within the South in favor of Riyadh.