The Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed separatist movement, has consolidated its control over Yemen’s eastern governorates of Hadhramaut and al-Mahra following a swift military campaign. This expansion grants the STC authority over regions containing most of Yemen’s oil reserves and its only two functional border crossings with Saudi Arabia and Oman.
The takeover, executed by STC-aligned Hadrami Elite Forces earlier this month, represents a significant shift in Yemen’s complex geopolitical landscape. While the STC and its supporters celebrated their territorial gains from their stronghold in Aden, residents in the newly controlled eastern provinces have responded with caution and apprehension.
Ayman, a 43-year-old resident of Hadhramaut, expressed the ambivalence shared by many locals: “I’m not against the internationally recognized government and not against the STC if they are in Aden. But I’m against anyone who invades us to loot our oil and other wealth and leave us suffering.”
The military advance began after tribal leaders in Hadhramaut announced in late November they would assume control of oil fields and manage their governorate independently. Saudi Arabia attempted to broker a truce through a delegation on December 3, but these efforts proved unsuccessful. Saudi-backed Dira al-Watan forces withdrew as STC fighters advanced, encountering minimal resistance beyond tribal members and soldiers at few military bases.
With this expansion, the STC now controls all southern governorates that previously constituted the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen before unification in 1990. The group emerged in 2018 advocating for an independent southern state but has operated as part of the internationally recognized Yemeni government based in Aden.
Local resistance appears to be organizing through peaceful means. Ammar, a 38-year-old resident of al-Mahra, stated that residents “won’t seek violent conflict with the STC, but will resist it nonetheless through peaceful means like protests.” Many residents traditionally oppose the STC and now fear potential retaliation.
STC fighter Mahmoud Taher defended the movement’s actions: “Now we, the STC, lead the south, and its forces need to spread in all governorates, not to fight residents but to keep all governorates safe. We will stop those who try to create chaos.”
The situation remains tense as the STC seeks to impose its authority on regions historically accustomed to autonomy, with local communities deeply suspicious of outside intervention regardless of its origin.