Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council has voted to remove Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), from its ranks and refer his case to the country’s attorney general on charges of high treason, the council announced in a statement.
According to the council, “Aidarus bin Qasim al-Zoubaidi used the southern provinces to commit violations against civilians, harmed the political and economic stability of the Republic of Yemen, undermined the constitution and state institutions, obstructed efforts to resist coups and rebellions, and incited internal strife.”
Agence France-Presse reported that Saudi Arabia carried out at least 15 airstrikes on STC positions, aiming to disrupt the separatists’ advances and derail al-Zoubaidi’s attempt to escalate the conflict. Earlier, Reuters said al-Zoubaidi failed to board a flight bound for Riyadh, where he was expected to take part in a forum on resolving the southern Yemen crisis. His current whereabouts remain unknown.
Tensions have sharply escalated since early December 2025, when STC forces — backed by the United Arab Emirates — seized control of Yemen’s eastern provinces of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra. In response, President Rashad al-Alimi called on the Saudi-led coalition to provide military assistance.
On January 2, Hadhramaut’s governor, Salem al-Khanbashi, announced a government operation to reclaim military bases held by separatist fighters. That same day, the STC declared the start of a transitional phase toward establishing an independent state called “South Arabia,” with Aden as its capital — within the borders of the former People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (1967–1990).
A day later, President al-Alimi proposed holding a general conference in Riyadh to unite southern political factions and resolve the crisis. The STC leadership publicly welcomed the initiative. By the evening of January 3, government forces claimed to have regained full control of Hadhramaut and Al-Mahra.
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Based on materials from TASS