A significant diplomatic dispute has erupted between Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) and Saudi Arabia following contested claims about the separatist group’s dissolution. Saudi state media announced on Friday that STC delegates in Riyadh had agreed to disband the organization, a report immediately rejected by STC representatives who allege their members are being held under duress.
Mohamed Alsahimi, the STC’s UK representative, explicitly denied the dissolution reports to Middle East Eye, stating that any legitimate disbandment would require formal approval from both the council and its UAE-backed leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who has reportedly fled Yemen. Alsahimi asserted that the delegation in Riyadh had been effectively detained since Wednesday, with their communication devices confiscated.
“This cannot be done under duress. This will be done when the STC delegation in Riyadh is released,” Alsahimi declared, adding that the group remains committed to constructive political engagement regarding southern Yemen’s future.
The controversy emerges amid dramatic shifts in southern Yemen’s power dynamics. STC forces have recently lost control of their Aden stronghold to Saudi-backed Giants Brigades, who have raised Yemen’s national flag over government buildings for the first time in years. Saudi Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman Al Saud praised the alleged dissolution as a “brave decision” that would facilitate inclusive talks about southern Yemen’s future through an upcoming Riyadh conference.
Meanwhile, Abu Dhabi-based STC spokesman Anwar al-Tamimi dismissed the Saudi announcement as “ridiculous,” highlighting the deepening complexities of the Yemen conflict where competing Gulf powers support different factions within the anti-Houthi alliance.