Aden (South24) 

Today, the President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Member of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Aidrous Al-Zubaidi, affirmed the “negotiating framework for the South Issue” within the Yemeni political process under the auspices of the United Nations (UN).

The affirmation came during Al-Zubaidi’s meeting with UN Special Envoy Hans Grundberg at the STC headquarters in the capital, Aden.

Al-Zubaidi told the UN Envoy: “We emphasize resolving the South Issue through its special negotiating framework, approved in the outcomes of the Gulf Cooperation Council consultations, and agreed upon in the PLC.”

According to the STC’s official website, Al-Zubaidi stressed the need for the Houthis to present a position supporting peace that aligns with the positions of the STC and the PLC.

The STC President said, "Talking about a political process and a peace agreement in light of the escalation by the Houthi militia in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab is unrealistic and useless."

The Southern leader accused the Houthis of using military escalation in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab, and the Gulf of Aden as a means of putting pressure on the international community and obtaining political gains.

He spoke about the deteriorating economic conditions in Yemen, which he said had been exacerbated by the Houthis' campaign against maritime navigation and its economic repercussions.

Al-Zubaidi said that any measures to open Yemen’s roads must be carried out under the supervision of UN committees, following the Houthis’ recent moves to unilaterally open border crossings between South and North.

Today, Hans Grundberg briefed the UN Security Council on the latest developments related to the Yemeni crisis remotely from Aden via video link. 

The UN Envoy described his meetings with the PLC Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi and Aidrous Al-Zubaidi in Aden, saying he felt “encouraged by the constructive environment” they were conducted in. 

Grundberg expressed his concern about the Houthis’ announcement of raising the level of maritime escalation, and the war rhetoric deployed by Houthi leaders, especially regarding the city of Marib.

Regarding the peace process, he said “the regional situation is continuing to complicate our ability to make progress in Yemen”, stressing that he will continue to work toward the roadmap.

Grundberg arrived in Aden from the Sultanate of Oman yesterday, according to the Aden Governorate Media Office, as the region was experiencing a severe electricity crisis.