Expected Emirati Escalation in Southern Yemen: Secret Meeting in Aden to Thwart the Return of the New Government Al-Araby Al-Jadeed: The Southern Transitional Council moves on Emirati instructions to organize mass events in Shabwa, Hadramout, and Socotra in parallel with arrangements for the government’s transfer to Aden
Simultaneous field movements in more than one southern and eastern governorate amid warnings of a slide toward armed confrontations
NYN | Reports and Analyses
The Qatari newspaper Al-Araby Al-Jadeed revealed an Emirati plan to escalate protests in a number of southern and eastern governorates, in parallel with preparations for the return of the new Saudi-aligned government to the city of Aden after taking the constitutional oath in Riyadh.
The newspaper quoted informed sources as saying that leaders of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) held a secret meeting in Aden on Saturday, under Emirati directives, during which mechanisms for mobilization and preparations for escalation in the coming days were discussed, coinciding with anticipation of the new government’s move to the temporary capital.
Secret meeting and a mobilization plan across multiple governorates
According to the sources, the meeting discussed what the newspaper described as a “field movement plan” that includes organizing large-scale mass events aimed at rejecting the outcomes of the Southern Dialogue and escalating actions to prevent the government from returning to any southern city.
Million-man rally in Shabwa and an event on the Hadramout coast
The sources reported that STC leaders in Shabwa governorate called for organizing a “million-man rally” in the city of Ataq next Wednesday, while its leadership on the Hadramout coast called for a mass event on Tuesday, in protest against the decision to dissolve the council and the movements of the new government.
Socotra: Demonstration and raising Emirati flags
On the island of Socotra, hundreds of STC supporters took part in a demonstration on Saturday, during which southern flags and United Arab Emirates flags were raised, alongside chants and slogans described by the newspaper as hostile to Saudi Arabia.
Warnings of bleak scenarios and potential confrontations
Analysts cited by the newspaper believe that targeting the government’s return to Aden and the outright rejection of the outcomes of the Southern Dialogue place southern and eastern Yemen before highly complex scenarios, which could develop into direct armed confrontations in the coming period.
