NEWS

South Yemen’s STC Revives 1994 War Memory in Escalation Against “Saudi Guardianship”

“Escalation Against Guardianship and Occupation” event in Aden, July 7, 2026 (South24 Center)

07-07-2026 الساعة 10 مساءً بتوقيت عدن

Aden (South24 Center)

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) organized mass public events in Aden, Hadramout, Socotra, and Al-Mahra on Tuesday, July 7, turning the 32nd anniversary of the end of the 1994 war and the unity regime’s military takeover of the South into a new phase of political escalation against Saudi Arabia and the authorities allied with it in the South.


The events were held under the slogan “Escalation Against Guardianship and Occupation,” amid tight security measures, gunfire, arrests, and restrictions imposed on crowds seeking to reach the event squares, particularly in Mukalla and Aden.


For many Southerners, July 7 represents the day when northern forces completed their military takeover of Aden in 1994, four years after the unity agreement between North Yemen and South Yemen. Since then, Southern movements have commemorated this date as the anniversary of the “Invasion of the South” and “Land Day.”


Tuesday’s events came after months of escalating tension between the STC, Saudi Arabia, and the local and security authorities backed by it, and six months after the STC announced a constitutional document and a two-year transitional path in preparation for a referendum on restoring an independent Southern state.


In Aden, Al-Aroud Square in Khormaksar became the main center of the event. Footage filmed by South24 Center showed large crowds filling the square, raising the flags of the former state of South Yemen, and chanting slogans rejecting what they described as “Saudi guardianship” and supporting the restoration of the Southern state.



A South24 Center correspondent in Aden said live ammunition was fired near peaceful demonstrators at Al-Aroud Square as participants arrived for the event. Despite the gunfire, crowds continued to gather in the square. Delegations from Abyan, Shabwa, Lahj, and Al-Dhalea had moved toward Aden since the morning hours to take part.


In Hadramout, a South24 Center correspondent said a heavy security deployment preceded the event in Mukalla, where roads were closed and delegations, vehicles, and citizens were prevented from reaching the gathering site. Videos filmed by South24 Center documented security forces preventing crowds from reaching the event site and the arrest of about three demonstrators as they attempted to reach the square. A local source also said female security personnel prevented women demonstrators from entering the area.



In Wadi Hadramout, crowds continued to arrive at the event square in Seiyun despite tight security measures, while the events extended to Al-Ghaydah in Al-Mahra and Socotra, where the flags of the former state of South Yemen were raised and the Southern National Anthem was chanted.



In a statement issued on the occasion, the STC said the South is currently passing through a phase similar to the aftermath of the 1994 war, accusing forces hostile to the Southern cause of taking control of important military and economic sites in the South. It said this would not have happened without direct Saudi military intervention.


The Council accused Saudi Arabia of imposing “guardianship” on the South, enabling military and political forces to expand inside Southern territory, and allowing what it described as forces of hegemony and influence to penetrate the Southern geography. It also accused Saudi Arabia of direct military intervention that, according to the statement, reached the point of carrying out airstrikes against Southern forces, before enabling hostile military formations to advance and position themselves in Southern areas.


The STC renewed its commitment to restoring an independent federal Southern state within the borders that existed before May 22, 1990, describing this as a sovereign option that is non-negotiable and cannot be bypassed. It also reaffirmed support for STC President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, whom it described as the mandated leader of the current phase, until the restoration of a fully sovereign Southern state.


The Council called on Southern political and social forces to strengthen national alignment and internal cohesion, stressing that Southern-Southern dialogue remains a “great goal,” but must take place without foreign dictates, guardianship, or threats from any party.


The statement defended the Southern armed and security forces, describing them as the “watchful eye” and the “impenetrable shield” protecting the South’s gains and combating terrorism and piracy. It accused Saudi Arabia and what it described as its “manufactured authorities” of attempting to dismantle these forces and erase their achievements, holding them responsible for security chaos and for enabling extremist elements to occupy military, security, civil, and political positions.



The STC renewed its rejection of the so-called “roadmap” emerging from Saudi-Houthi understandings, saying it grants the Houthis the largest share of the South’s economic revenues in exchange for not targeting Saudi territory. It said the political declaration it issued on January 2, 2026, and the constitutional declaration that followed, represent a safer roadmap toward restoring the Southern state and achieving stability.


The statement also held Saudi Arabia legally and morally responsible for what it described as arrangements to release eight terrorist elements, whom it said had been proven involved in the assassinations of Southern leaders, in exchange for the Houthis releasing captured Saudi pilots. It called on the international community to pressure for stopping the deal, which comes in the context of a broader prisoner and detainee exchange agreement reached in Amman in May between the Yemeni government and the Houthis.



On freedoms, the Council said campaigns of suppression, silencing, intimidation, and pursuit targeting Southern politicians, journalists, media professionals, and activists constitute a violation of the law. It demanded the immediate release of detainees, foremost among them Southern leader Maeen Al-Maqrahi, and an end to pursuits and summonses targeting STC leaders, activists, and Southern journalists.



The STC called on the international community to urgently intervene to find an appropriate formula for dealing with what it described as the emerging situation in the South caused by “guardianship and unilateral Saudi decision-making,” saying Riyadh’s management of the Southern file over the past six months is pushing the South and the region toward a “major disaster.”


The statement linked the political crisis to the deterioration of services, saying Southern areas have witnessed a near-total collapse of electricity, water, and sanitation services, as well as shortages of fuel and domestic gas. It added that Saudi Arabia, as the force exercising direct authority over the South, bears legal and moral obligations to provide basic services and protect citizens’ lives.


- South24 Center

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