Continued infighting among proxies in Aden and a worsening Saudi impasse
The occupied city of Aden is witnessing a dangerous escalation in the conflict between Saudi-backed mercenaries and their Emirati counterparts operating under the banner of the so-called “Southern Transitional Council.” This escalation is occurring amidst rising security tensions and ongoing clashes, reflecting the fragility of the situation and the prevailing instability, despite the formation of a new “government-in-exile” sponsored by Riyadh.
According to media outlets loyal to the Saudi-led aggression, mercenary forces in Aden closed the headquarters of the so-called “Transitional Council” on Sunday. These headquarters, which Riyadh had previously dissolved, included the so-called “National Assembly” and the “Foreign Affairs building.” The forces prevented members of the council from carrying out their duties, in a Saudi attempt to consolidate its proxies and reshape the landscape to serve its interests, amidst a clear failure to establish stability.
In contrast, the so-called “Southern Transitional Council” mercenaries condemned the decision to close their headquarters, deeming it an “arbitrary decision” aimed at “strangling the southern cause,” as they put it. This reflects the deep divisions among the tools of the occupation and the conflicting agendas of its various factions, as well as the continued exploitation of the “southern cause” by the Saudi and Emirati occupation forces.
Meanwhile, media outlets affiliated with the aggression reported a new attack on the Ma’ashiq Palace in occupied Aden, indicating that Transitional Council gunmen launched an attack on the so-called “Giants Brigades” forces stationed around the palace.
They quoted members of these Saudi-backed forces as saying that an armored vehicle stationed at the eastern gate of the palace was fired upon by unknown assailants. This coincided with Transitional Council protesters storming the palace gate from the Haqqat side in an attempt to expel the “hotel government.”
Aden witnessed escalating security tensions in recent days after supporters of the Southern Transitional Council attempted to storm the gates of the Ma’ashiq Palace during the first meeting of the new mercenary government. This resulted in one death and several injuries, further indicating the ongoing power struggle between proxies and the Saudi occupation’s inability to control the situation, despite its attempts to sideline UAE-backed forces and reshape alliances in the occupied southern and eastern provinces.
These developments coincide with a meeting of the “Council of Eight Traitors,” chaired by the mercenary Al-Alimi, who vowed to retaliate against the UAE’s proxies. This move foreshadows a new round of infighting and reveals the extent of the rift within the aggression camp.
Field data confirms that the Saudi-Emirati aggression deliberately perpetuates conflict among its proxies in the occupied southern and eastern provinces by creating recurring security and economic crises. It manages these areas through a policy of starvation, intimidation, and the manufacturing of service and livelihood crises, exacerbating the suffering of citizens and keeping these provinces hostage to chaos and division.
The rapidly unfolding events also reveal Saudi Arabia’s inability to consolidate its power or establish a stable, loyal authority, despite years of occupation and significant political and military expenditure. This deepens the security and service collapse, leaving the residents of Aden and the other occupied governorates facing a dire situation where conflicts are waged to serve foreign agendas at the expense of their security and livelihoods.
In this context, Aden appears to be an open arena for settling scores between the aggressor states and their mercenaries, while the citizens bear the brunt of the consequences, suffering in terms of their security, stability, and livelihoods. This situation reflects the failure of the occupation project to impose a stable reality or provide a viable model of governance.