Yemen’s southern separatists on Friday unveiled an interim constitution for a breakaway state and demanded acceptance from rival factions, a dramatic escalation that widened the rift inside the Saudi-led coalition and risked opening a new front in the country’s long war.
The Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the United Arab Emirates, framed the document as a declaration of independence for the south under the name “State of South Arabia,” mirroring the borders of the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967–1990). The move followed weeks of battlefield gains by STC-linked forces, which last month seized the presidential palace in Aden and wrested control of the southern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra from Saudi-backed forces, prompting members of the internationally recognized government to flee to Riyadh.
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Hours after the announcement, Saudi warplanes struck STC camps and positions in Hadramout as Saudi-backed National Shield Forces moved to retake the facilities, according to STC officials. An STC military spokesperson said the strikes caused casualties but gave no figures; the claims could not be independently verified. It was the latest sign of direct Saudi military pressure on the separatists, including recent airstrikes and a reported interdiction of Emirati weapons said to be destined for STC units.
In a video statement, STC chief Aidarous al-Zubaidi said the 30-article constitution would apply for two years, after which the south would hold a referendum on self-determination. He called for talks between “relevant parties” in the north and south to agree on a future framework but warned that “all options remain open” if his initiative is rejected or met with force.
The announcement injected fresh volatility into Yemen’s fractured landscape. Ostensibly allies against the Iranian-aligned Houthi movement that controls the north, Saudi Arabia and the UAE now back rival power centers in the south, straining a coalition whose stated goal for nearly a decade has been to restore Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
Early Saturday, the UAE said it had completed a full military withdrawal from Yemen, describing the move as part of a previously announced conclusion of counterterrorism missions. The UAE Foreign Ministry emphasized restraint and a commitment to de-escalation, saying Abu Dhabi’s policy prioritizes regional stability. The Defense Ministry did not detail troop or equipment numbers, though multiple Emirati military cargo flights were observed in recent days.
Saudi Arabia, meanwhile, demanded the STC vacate Hadramout and Mahra as part of de-escalation efforts, but the separatists have refused to hand over weapons or bases. Hadramout’s governor, newly appointed by the internationally recognized government to command coalition forces in the province, called the move to reclaim camps “a pre-emptive measure to remove weapons,” insisting it was not a declaration of war.
Diplomatic tensions mounted alongside the air campaign. Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed al-Jaber said the kingdom had exhausted efforts to persuade the STC to halt its advance and alleged the separatists blocked a Saudi delegation’s plane from landing in Aden. Yemen’s Transportation Ministry, aligned with the STC, said Saudi authorities imposed requirements that flights to and from Aden undergo inspections in Jeddah; it also announced a suspension of flights to and from the UAE pending reversal of the measures. Saudi officials did not confirm the aviation changes.
The separatist push for statehood crystallizes a yearslong campaign in the south and complicates any comprehensive settlement with the Houthis. It also underscores how the anti-Houthi camp is fracturing into competing power centers—Riyadh-backed government forces, UAE-aligned separatists, and other militias—each jockeying for control of territory and resources. For civilians in the Arab world’s poorest country, the latest confrontation threatens to further disrupt aid routes, harden battle lines, and delay any political process aimed at ending the war.
By Ali Musa
Axadle Times international–Monitoring.
