Aden (South24 Center)

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The Southern Transitional Council (STC) organized large-scale public rallies in Aden and Hadramout on Saturday (June 20) under the slogan “Rejecting Tutelage and Opposing Occupation”, amid a political and legal escalation by Saudi-backed Yemeni government entities against the council in recent days.

In Aden, Al-Arood Square in Khormaksar became a focal point of political and security tensions from the early hours of the morning, following a heavy security deployment and attempts to remove banners and posters related to the event and STC President Major General Aidrous Al-Zubaidi.

Video footage showed gunfire directed at a banner bearing Al-Zubaidi’s image and the rally’s slogan, causing it to collapse and tear apart. Demonstrators later erected a new banner as the event got underway in the afternoon.

Despite the tensions, crowds from across Aden and several southern governorates, including Shabwa, Al-Dhalea, Lahj, and Abyan, converged on Al-Arood Square, carrying South Yemeni flags and chanting slogans rejecting what they described as “Saudi tutelage” over South Yemen.

A South24 correspondent documented chants praising STC President Aidrous Al-Zubaidi. The same venue hosted a major rally on May 4 to renew popular support for Al-Zubaidi on the anniversary of the STC’s founding.

In Hadramout, similar events took place in the cities of Mukalla and Seiyun in response to the STC’s call, amid a heavy security presence.

Our correspondent in Mukalla said security forces were deployed to prevent demonstrators from reaching the rally site, while security personnel in Seiyun fired live ammunition in an attempt to disperse protesters.

Despite the security crackdown, participants succeeded in holding the events in both cities, the largest urban centers in Hadramout Governorate, where Yemen’s Emergency Forces and the Nation’s Shield Forces are deployed. These Saudi-backed forces took control of Hadramout in early January following the withdrawal of Southern forces after Saudi airstrikes.

The protests come after a series of escalatory measures targeting the STC. On June 16, Yemen’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Abdullah Al-Saadi, called on the Security Council to update the Yemen sanctions framework to include STC President Aidrous Al-Zubaidi. He accused political actors and leaders of undermining state institutions and obstructing national and international commitments.

A day later, Yemen’s Attorney General ordered the precautionary seizure of assets and accounts linked to the STC, including 14 billion Yemeni riyals held at the state-owned CAC Bank.

The STC’s Legal Affairs and Human Rights Authority described the measures as a “dangerous precedent” and an attempt to drag judicial institutions into a political conflict.

The authority said the decision was issued without a final court ruling or a specific legal charge and constituted a direct targeting of the STC and its leadership.

Meanwhile, the Southern Armed Forces’ Financial Department denied that the funds belonged to the STC or its leaders, stating that the amount was allocated for food allowances for Southern forces for October and November 2025. It added that the allocation had been approved in December 2025 by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi but had not yet been disbursed.

Hours before the “Rejecting Tutelage” rallies began, Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber announced the release of more than SAR 224 million to support the Yemeni government’s budget deficit and cover public-sector salaries. The funding package had been announced previously.

In the days leading up to Saturday’s demonstrations, Aden, Mukalla, and Seiyun witnessed angry protests over prolonged electricity outages exceeding 19 hours per day, amid continuing deterioration in living conditions.

Yemen’s Ministry of Electricity announced an emergency plan to secure additional diesel and fuel oil supplies with Saudi support. However, the crisis has continued unabated.

The STC later published a final communiqué issued by the “Rejecting Tutelage and Opposing Occupation” events. The statement said the popular mobilization was a response to what it described as efforts to target the council and its president, weaken Southern forces, and cut off their funding.

It also cited what it described as pressure on the council’s popular support base through the deterioration of basic services and living conditions.

The statement accused Saudi Arabia of managing political, security, and economic arrangements aimed at weakening Southern decision-making and called on the international community to reconsider its approach to the Yemeni file. It warned that continued political and economic pressure could lead to further escalation and instability.

These developments come amid efforts to revive Yemen’s military and political tracks through the Military Coordination Committee. In his June 16 briefing to the UN Security Council, UN Special Envoy for Yemen Hans Grundberg announced that his office intends to convene a trilateral meeting involving Saudi Arabia, the Houthis, and the Yemeni government.

Those remarks have heightened concerns in South Yemen regarding the Saudi-Houthi roadmap and its potential implications for the South.