Signs of an Explosion in the Occupied Southern Provinces and Threats Against Saudi Arabia and the UAE
Under the Saudi presence and occupation, Aden and the rest of the southern provinces, in addition to parts of Taiz and Marib, are experiencing unprecedented security and military chaos. Armed groups supported by Saudi Arabia are proliferating to confront similar armed groups that were previously supported by the UAE and continue to do so covertly.
Observers believe that the coming events in the areas controlled by the Saudi-Emirati-American coalition could reignite clashes between Saudi and Emirati militias. Although the UAE has publicly announced its withdrawal from Yemen, local and international information and statistics confirm that the UAE continues to support its armed factions, albeit covertly. Furthermore, the leaders of these militias still reside in Abu Dhabi.
Amid the ongoing conflict, Saudi Arabia is actively attempting to partition Yemen by imposing a new version of secession under the auspices of Mohammed Al Jaber, the Saudi-appointed ambassador to Yemen.
Among the recent developments that have sparked widespread controversy and resentment in Aden Governorate is the recent action by Abdul Rahman al-Sheikh, the Saudi-appointed governor, of abolishing the official emblem and the Yemeni republican flag, replacing them solely with the name of the capital, Aden.
With the so-called government of Shaya’a al-Zindani unable to carry out its duties in Aden Governorate, attention is focused on the threats issued by Aidarus al-Zubaidi, head of the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC), which was dissolved by Saudi Arabia but remains supported by the UAE. These threats have been explicitly directed at the ministers appointed by Saudi Arabia, as well as at the armed groups imposed by the Saudis.
These threats coincided with calls from STC leaders for demonstrations to expel the Saudi occupiers.
On another front, numerous calls have emerged demanding the expulsion of all instruments of the Saudi and Emirati occupation, the provision of public services to citizens, and the restoration of security and stability, which have been severely lacking recently.
In developments in Aden, Saudi-backed armed groups closed the office of Aidarus al-Zubaidi in Aden, as well as several offices belonging to the so-called Southern Transitional Council. Saudi Arabia, through its military governor in Aden, also replaced several southern leaders affiliated with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council with Saudi-backed figures.
Meanwhile, a prominent leader in the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council threatened to launch attacks against Saudi economic facilities, interests, and military bases.
Sheikh Lahmar bin Ali Lasoud, head of the so-called Southern Transitional Council in Shabwa Governorate, stated in a tweet that the Saudi escalation in the southern governorates would lead to a reciprocal escalation against the Kingdom’s facilities and interests.
He added that targeting airports, ports, and facilities in the southern governorates would be met with targeting Saudi airports, ports, and facilities, and that the aggressor would bear the greater responsibility.
Lasoud clarified that the response to the closure of the Southern Transitional Council’s offices would be to target Saudi facilities located in the southern governorates.
Similarly, observers of Yemeni and regional affairs believe that the continued Saudi-Emirati occupation and their shared role in destabilizing southern Yemen, along with their ongoing aggression and blockade against Yemen and its people, will have disastrous and negative repercussions for Saudi Arabia and the UAE. According to current realities, they have failed to achieve any political or military victories, and their agendas and ambitions in Yemen are becoming increasingly clear. This failure will have dire consequences for the aggressor states, particularly Saudi Arabia and the UAE, in the coming days.
26 September Net: Rafiq Al-Hamoudi