For the first time in years, Yemen’s national flag is fluttering on the streets of Aden and over official buildings.
The blue triangle and red star flag of the former South Yemen, used by the Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatist movement, has been removed.
So, too, have the STC fighters, replaced by the Salafist Giants Forces who are pledging allegiance to Yemeni authorities known as the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), backed by Saudi Arabia.
Aden has been a heartland of the STC’s support, and is the capital the separatists envisaged for the future independent state of South Arabia.
But now its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, has been accused by Saudi Arabia of fleeing to the UAE via Somaliland.
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And the stunning gains that the STC made last month, when it seized control over the provinces of Hadhramaut and al-Mahrah, have been suddenly and rapidly reversed by the Riyadh-backed Homeland Shield Forces (HSF), who are moving towards Aden under the cover of Saudi air strikes.
Today, staunch and open public support for the STC in Aden is hard to find. Residents who spoke to Middle East Eye described a feeling that after all this tumult, it’s they who have emerged victorious.
“I’m happy this morning, not necessarily because of the new forces, but because I see Aden is safe and life is normal,” Saif al-Maqtari, a shopkeeper, told MEE.
Many of the soldiers now patrolling Aden were formerly with the STC but defected to support the PLC.
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The Giants Forces is led by PLC member and Zubaidi’s former deputy, Abu Zaraa al-Mahrami.
“All these forces are southerners, they are our brothers and will protect Aden from chaos. That is all we need,” Maqtari added.
“We are tired of fighting and eager for peace. We aren’t against the ‘southern cause’, but we need a peaceful solution.”
On 2 January, Saudi air strikes began raining down on STC positions in southern and eastern Yemen, and HSF fighters launched attacks on separatist forces.
Scores have been killed in the fighting over the past week, with Saudi-backed forces entering the Aden governorate on Wednesday.
Maqtari has been following the clashes and watching them approach his city, fearful of the worst-case scenario.
“During the last week, I was very worried that battles might break out in Aden, as any fighting would affect us and our source of income,” he said. “But the warring sides were wise enough to spare Aden from any bad impact.”
Southern divisions
While safety is the residents’ primary concern, political undercurrents remain a factor.
Some residents felt the STC was exclusionary. Alaa, an accountant, said the STC represented the interests of al-Dhale governorate, north of Aden, rather than the broader southern population.
“I’m from Aden, and I felt neglected by the STC. They appointed management from al-Dhale governorate in almost all public institutions,” Alaa told MEE.
“Residents felt they were facing an invasion from al-Dhale. It is better to remain under a unified Yemen than to give the south to people who don’t accept others.”
Since 2007, various groups have demanded southern independence, but many felt sidelined when the STC was founded with Emirati support in 2017. Alaa hopes for a more inclusive future.
Earlier this month, Saudi Arabia invited southern separatists to a “southern forum” in Riyadh. While many groups, including the STC, agreed to attend, Zubaidi ultimately sent a delegation of over 50 members in lieu of attending in person. Zubaidi disappeared, allegedly spirited away to Abu Dhabi via Somaliland by the Emiratis.
Meanwhile, the STC has told MEE that the delegation were put in a bus after arriving in Riyadh on Wednesday morning and have not been heard from since.
Senior STC official Amr al-Bidh said their phones are believed to have been confiscated.
Alaa is hopeful that a peaceful solution will be found.
“Southern people have demands, but I hope wise men represent us, not those who believe only in violence,” he said.
“Just as the people in Sanaa believe they have a right to lead the country, the people of al-Dhale believe they have a right to lead the south.”
Some enduring support
Mohammed Saeed, 45, is a truck driver. He regularly crosses lines of control to move goods between Yemeni governorates, and he insists that the country should be united.
“Since 2015, we have had several conflicting military and political groups in the south, and many battles have erupted. That isn’t ideal, and it isn’t what people need, as it creates continuous worry,” he told MEE.
“If there were a unified leadership controlling all the governorates, I believe the situation in the south would improve.”
Saeed said he’s not necessarily a staunch supporter of the PLC, which is the internationally recognised government, but says “I hope to see only one flag waving over the whole country, or at least in the southern governorates.
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“Today, we still see more than one flag, but I hope they can eventually work under one leadership.”
The Giants Forces and the Homeland Shield Forces, who have taken over Aden, carry their own banners, raising them either alone or alongside the Yemeni national flag.
Despite the shift in Aden, the STC retains popular support in al-Dhale, Zubaidi’s home town.
According to Saudi Arabia, military convoys fled Aden for al-Dhale, which has since been targeted by air strikes. It remains the last stronghold for STC loyalists.
Meanwhile, STC fighters who laid down their weapons in Aden were not arrested and have been able to resume their lives.
While many STC supporters in Aden have stopped publicly supporting the movement out of fear, some remain loyal.
One supporter, speaking to MEE on condition of anonymity, praised Zubaidi’s refusal to surrender to Saudi pressure.
“The resistance is ongoing. Aidarous decided not to fight in Aden to avoid a war at home, allowing the Giants Forces to take over to keep the peace,” the supporter said.
The supporter, like STC officials, insists that Zubaidi remains in Yemen and will eventually return to the fore.
