A massive demonstration by the Southern Transitional Council in Aden on its ninth anniversary reaffirmed its commitment to secession.

Massive demonstration in the parade square

 

A massive demonstration by the Southern Transitional Council in Aden on its ninth anniversary reaffirmed its commitment to secession.

Supporters of the Southern Transitional Council flocked to the parade ground in Aden, the temporary capital, raising pictures of Aidarus al-Zubaidi and slogans supporting secession in what they called the "Million-Man March of Steadfastness and Southern Decision".

The protesters affirmed their commitment to what they called the "restoration of the southern state" project, while saying that Al-Zubaidi represented them in achieving their demands for the country's secession.

The statement issued by the organizers of the demonstration said that the event was held to commemorate the ninth anniversary of what it described as the "historic Aden Declaration" issued on May 4, 2017, noting that what it called the "magnificent gathering" in the parade square was "nothing but conclusive and decisive proof of the people of the South rallying around their just cause, and of their absolute rejection of all attempts to undermine it."

The statement stressed what it called "unity of ranks" behind the leadership of the Transitional Council, headed by Aidarus al-Zubaidi, to express "the aspirations of the people of the South and their right to restore their fully sovereign southern state."

The “dissolved” Transitional Council considered the Aden Declaration “a pivotal moment that expressed the popular will and established a political path based on popular mandate and unifying the decision,” noting that the popular mandate of the Council’s president, Aidarus al-Zubaidi, is a transitional phase from “revolutionary diaspora” to “political organization,” stressing its adherence to what it described as the option of restoring the state, and considering that a fixed strategic goal.

The Council’s statement reiterated its commitment to the political statement and constitutional declaration issued on January 2, 2026, considering them a roadmap for addressing the crisis. It stressed the need to recognize it as a key party in any political process and to ensure full representation of the South in any future settlement. It called on the international community to support its political, military, and security institutions and enhance their capabilities, emphasizing that its forces have played a role in combating terrorism and securing maritime routes.

Yesterday, the head of the dissolved Southern Transitional Council, Aidarus al-Zubaidi, renewed his commitment to the secession project and the building of an “independent southern state,” stressing that dialogue is the main path, in a speech on the ninth anniversary of the so-called Aden Declaration and the establishment of the council, at a time when criticism of the council’s role and its regional relations is escalating.

Al-Zubaidi said that the council “is proceeding on the path of achieving the aspirations of the southern people,” noting that this anniversary represents a milestone for renewing the commitment to what he described as national principles, and stressing that the council’s project is based on a “popular mandate” in light of what he described as a complex stage.

He added that the current stage requires preserving the “gains” that have been achieved, warning against being drawn into internal conflicts or what he considered “attempts to disrupt the southern decision.”

Al-Zubaidi pointed out that the council is adopting “conscious and peaceful resistance” in the face of what he described as illegitimate measures, in an unprecedented shift after the UAE had established armed entities with hundreds of thousands of armed men and through them controlled most of the southern governorates.