Aden (South24)

Since his return to the South Yemeni city of Aden on the first day of May, the STC’s President Aidarous Al-Zubaidi has not yet completed the process of comprehensive structural and institutional change inside the STC on the security, military, political and organizational levels.

The STC is the most organized entity in Yemen in light of the current conflict as well as the most influential and popular power in South according to researchers.1

The latest dynamics of change come in conjunction with the STC’s ambition to restore South which has united with North politically in 1990, as well as to boost  its position as “the bearer of Southerners’ aspirations” and a representative of their cause in the face of the complexities which obstruct its path.

Over the past period, the STC has been subjected to internal and external criticism after a stage of organizational deadlock that has affected its work during the past months due to its leaders’ preoccupation with the military and political conflict against Hadi Government, on the one side, and against the Houthis on the other side.

The military and security side

According to military observers, the decision to separate security and military forces is the most important among the recent changes. Al Al-Zubaidi announced the separation between Security Belt Forces and the Support & Reinforcement Brigades, which are the most prominent forces in South along with Storm (Asifa), Thunderbolt (Saeka), Resistance, and Giant Brigades.

On June 25, Al-Zubaidi appointed Brigadier Mohsen Al Wali to command the Security Belt Forces, and Brigadier Mokhtar Al Noubi as Deputy Commander. He also selected Brigadier Saleh Al Sayed to be the new Commander of Support & Reinforcement Brigades, and Brigadier Ali Nassir Al Moaakar as the latter’s Chief of the General Staff.

Support & Reinforcement Brigades have participated effectively in the STC’s battles against the “terrorist” groups such as the Arab Peninsula’s Qaeda. Brigadier Munir Al Yafi (Abu Al Yamama) is one of the most prominent founders of “Support Brigades” who was killed by a missile attack claimed by the Houthis in August 2019.

Al-Zubaidi has agreed to move the “Support Brigades’ commanding Headquarter outside the governorate of Aden and merge it within the Ground Brigades (Army)of the Southern Forces to operate under the leadership of the Ground Forces, under the Ministry of Defense.

The STC’s President has assigned the Security Belt Forces to perform the “police and security missions” and to work within the structure of the Interior Ministry.

Leaders of the Backup and Support Forces during the handover ceremony (official)

These decisions have been justified as being part of STC’s preparations to implement the military side of the Riyadh Agreement which actually includes such items.

However, such an Explanation could collide with the attempts of the other party of The Agreement as it is unlikely, according to observers, that the forces affiliated with the Yemeni Presidency implement the military side of the Agreement and withdraw from the southern areas they have reseized in 2019 as well as Hadhramaut in which they have been based much earlier.

In general, the STC believes that such decisions are correctional measures for South’s military and security establishments, and for eliminating the duplicity in missions which has caused a lot of troubles in the southern governorates, especially Aden, after the recent clashes among members of these units in Sheikh Othman.

Earlier to the decision, Captain Mohammed Al Naqip was appointed as the Spokesman of the South’s Army and Security.

In early June, Al-Zubaidi appointed former Aden’s Security Chief, General Shalal Ali Shaye’a as a Commander-in-Chief of The Counter-Terrorism Forces after a series of operations and threats by the Arab Peninsula’s Qaeda against STC as its affiliated forces.

By solidifying the role of the Security Belt as police forces, and separating them from the army, as well as appointing leadership to combat terrorism, a tendency could be noticed towards boosting South’s security amid the increase of “terrorist attacks” against southern forces.  The STC has accused members of the government of President Hadi of supporting such attacks. However, there is no governmental denial of that.

These decisions were preceded by field visits conducted by Al-Zubaidi and other STC’s military and political leaders to various army and security camps, in the axes of Abyan, Yafa, Al Dhalea and Radfan.

Major General Al-Zubaidi during an inspect visit to the "Southern Military Authority"

The diplomatic and foreign affairs aspects have a large share of the changes approved by STC’s President.  Al-Zubaidi issued some decisions, on Tuesday evening, including the establishment of "Southern External Dialogue Team", as well as an all-out change in STC’s Public Relations Department of Foreign Affairs and moving it from Britain to Aden.

The decision also included appointing STC’s foreign affairs directors in the   European Union, Russia and the United Kingdom, in addition to some representatives in the United Nations, USA, France, Ethiopia, the African Union and Canada, including two women.

The external diplomatic work is one of the most important achievements that have been achieved since the founding of the STC according to Observers, as the Council has been able to break the deadlock and isolation of the southern issue and move it to the international scene. Al-Zubaidi confirmed this in his “Disengagement Anniversary” speech on May 21.

Despite the criticism by some of its opponents, STC seems more open to embracing youth and women than other Yemen crisis’ parties.  Al-Zubaidi's decisions include a wide range of young people reflecting a strategy of empowering youth energy in the STC’ activities. It also determines the future STC’s pattern of appointment and assignment policies.

The National Assembly

Holding the Fourth Session of the STC’s National Assembly on June 16 and 17 constitutes a new stage of enhancing the institutional and legislative work according to the Council’s officials.

Opening ceremony of the 4th cycle of the National Assembly (South24, Ali Hasan)

The National Assembly is seen as “South’s parliament” assigned to issue legislation. Although it was established after announcing STC’s Presidential body in 2017, the absence of an effective role in legislating and drawing STC’’s policies and laws is notable. Consequently, the Fourth Session has attempted to change this.

The economic part

In conjunction with his arrival in Aden, Aidarous Al-Zubaidi appointed Dr. Mohammed Ali Hussein Al Kassadi as the Head of the STC’s Supreme Economic Committee that was previously chaired by Dr. Abdulsalam Hamid.

The Economic Committee is an independent body within the STC, specialized in the economic aspect of the southern governorates.  Although it was formed more than a year ago, this committee has not accomplished or achieved much of its task.

Observers have criticized the Council's dealing with the economic crises in Aden and other southern regions, as it has not yet provided any vision to save the economic situation. This was being noticed during the Fourth Session of the National Assembly.

The Yemeni government has tried to blame  the STC for the worsening  living situation in Aden, and for the deterioration of the currency and the economy ignoring that the STC paved the way for the government to return to Aden, and that  it has five ministers out of 24, half of whom are from the south.

Southern Research Foundation

Among Al Zubaidi's notable decisions is the establishment of the “Southern Foundation for Research and Strategic Studies”, as one of the STC’s advisory and research institutions and selecting Dr. Aidarous Nasr Nasser Al Naqeeb, who lives in the UK, to be its chairman and complete its institutional procedures.

This Foundation is likely to fill some STC’s vacuum in this field as the Council clearly lacks institutions for studies and analytical researchable to produce and direct many of its policies.

In line with that, Al-Zubaidi appointed Mohammed Jaafar bin AlSheikh Abu Bakr, from Hadhramaut, as the Head of the Studies and Research Department in the STC’s General Secretariat.

The media side

As for the media side, Al Zubaidi announced, on May 25, the establishment of the "National Commission for Southern Media" headed by the STC’s spokesman Ali Al Kathiri.

After its establishment, the commission announced, under Al Zubaidi’s directions, a package of measures to resume and revive the official media institutions of the former state of South Yemen, such as the Aden News Agency (ANA), Aden Radio and Television, and “14 October Newspaper”

The banners of the  Commission and the Aden News Agency have been  raised on  the ANA’ building, which was controlled by the Sana'a Regime after the 1994 war, and replaced by the  Yemeni  News Agency (Saba).

The Yemeni Syndicate of Journalists, whose President lives in Switzerland, protested against this step, claiming that gunmen affiliated with the STC assaulted its journalists. Reporters without Borders also criticized the move and called on Aden’s authorities to protect journalists.

However, the STC denied this, according to Reporters without Borders.

"Aden News Agency" and "National Southern Media Agency" logos (official)

The scientific and academic side

In March, the STC’s Coordination Body was established at the University of Aden reflecting its efforts to influence the academic and scientific community of southern universities, and revitalize their role, which has been deteriorating during past years due to conflict and war.

After Al Zubaidi returned to Aden, a decision was issued to establish the STC’s Coordination Body at Abyan University, and to name its members.  Over the last two months, Al Zubaidi has held frequent meetings with members of the coordination bodies of these universities, stressing on boosting the role of the STC and supporting South’s educational process.

The social and popular side

Since his return, Aidarous Al-Zubaidi has been keen to enhance southern popular cohesion, and to emphasize the principle of "reconciliation and tolerance" which the southerners consider a charter that ends all their previous differences.

Al Zubaidi met with delegations of sheikhs, dignitaries, and southern social figures from various governorates and regions, such as Socotra, Aden, Hadhramaut, Abyan, Shabwa, and Al-Sabiha and Radfan in the Governorate of Lahj.

STC President Aidrous Al-Zubaidi with civil society elites' (official)

In all these meetings, Al Zubaidi focused on the importance and role of all South’s governorates and regions as well as people's sacrifices, calling for more "cohesion and unity."

Moreover, Al Zubaidi expressed the council's interest in the families of the wounded and "martyrs" of the southern forces in meetings with some of these families.

In his meeting with the son of the former Yemeni Defense Minister, Mahmoud Al Sobaihi, who has been captured by the Houthis, Al Zubaidi said that "the revolution for South’s liberation, whose main political bearer and the legitimate commissioner is STC,  came only  for supporting southern human rights, on top of which is its right to restore its full sovereign state based upon  pre-May2 1990 -borders, as well as the release of all southern detainees, and restoring all their stolen and robbed rights.”2

From the revolution to the state

The STC aims for the independence of South, and the establishment of a “Federal Southern State.” In a number of statements and speeches, Al Zubaidi stressed that South today is passing a transitional phase “from revolution to state.” This likely explains the comprehensive changes it has implemented.

The rearrangement of the internal southern house concurrently comes with the preparations of the STC to score external gains, and to enhance itself as an essential and decisive party in resolving the Yemeni crisis along with the Houthis in North and the fragile Hadi government.

Despite the STC’s cling to the “independence of South”, political and military challenges remain significant, especially in light of the presence of northern forces in the governorates of Shabwa and Wadi Hadhramaut.

Jacoub Al-Sufyani

Journalist editor with South24 Center

Photo: Saleh Al-Obaidi/AFP/Getty Images