Sharp Division Within the Aden Government: Ministers and Officials Declare Support for Secession… Presidency Warns Against Violating the Constitution

NYN | News 

In a highly dangerous political development reflecting the depth of fractures within the structure of the executive authority, areas under the control of the Aden government have witnessed in recent days an unprecedented wave of openly divergent positions. This followed public declarations by ministers and government officials of their explicit support for calls by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) to separate southern Yemen from the north, provoking angry official reactions and presidential warnings of grave consequences for state unity and constitutional legitimacy.

Secessionist Statements from Within the Government

According to monitoring by New Yemen News, a number of ministers and officials in the Aden government issued written and video statements announcing their support for the so-called “Declaration of the State of South Arabia,” in response to calls launched by the STC, a partner in both the government and the Presidential Leadership Council.

The list of supporters included prominent ministers, among them:

• Abdulnasser Al-Wali (Civil Service)

• Mohammed Saeed Al-Zaouri (Social Affairs and Labor)

• Manea bin Yameen (Electricity)

• Salem Al-Saqtari (Agriculture and Fisheries)

• Ahmed Lamlas (Minister of State and Governor of Aden)

Also joining these calls were ministers outside the STC’s quota, most notably Salem Al-Harizi (Public Works and Roads) and Waed Badheeb (Planning and Acting Minister of Telecommunications).

Expanding Support Within State Institutions

These positions were not limited to ministers. Deputy ministers and undersecretaries in the ministries of Water, Information, Endowments, Local Administration, Justice, Legal Affairs, Youth and Sports, and Health also announced their support for secession.

Support further extended to the head of the Land Authority, the head of the Tax Authority, and the governors of Socotra and Abyan.

Although most of these officials are known for their political loyalty to the STC, their public declarations were made unilaterally, in contradiction to their constitutional obligations and to the nature of their positions within a government that is supposed to represent the unity of the Yemeni state.

Explicit Loyalty to the Southern Transitional Council

The most striking of these positions was a video address by Civil Service Minister Abdulnasser Al-Wali, in which he openly declared that the leadership of his ministry supports “all decisions and directions of the leadership of the people of the South,” represented by the STC.

Al-Wali called on the regional and international community to understand what he described as “the right of the people of the South to establish their state,” in a speech widely regarded as a clear تجاوز of his official mandate and a departure from the constitutional frameworks governing the transitional period.

Presidency Acts and Warns of Accountability

In response, the Presidency confirmed that the Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, had followed with concern the statements and declarations issued by some ministers and officials, considering them outside the scope of their official duties and a clear violation of the constitution and the law.

Al-Alimi directed the government and relevant authorities to take all legal and administrative measures against any violations that undermine the unity of political decision-making or seek to impose policies outside constitutional frameworks and the references of the transitional phase.

The Presidency warned against exploiting official positions for political gains, stressing that such actions constitute a serious breach of the constitution and the duties of public office, and pose a threat to civil peace and national consensus, warranting legal accountability.

Ministries Distance Themselves and Seek to Contain the Crisis

In an attempt to contain the repercussions, the Ministry of Information, Culture, and Tourism issued a statement denying responsibility for the position of Deputy Minister Salah Al-Aqal, affirming its commitment to the constitution and rejecting the involvement of the institution in any unilateral political projects.

The ministries of Youth and Sports, Endowments, Justice, and Industry and Trade also announced their categorical rejection of any political statements issued in their name, considering such actions a clear violation of legal references.

The Ministry of Industry and Trade stressed that politicizing service institutions threatens economic stability, harms the business and investment climate, and negatively affects food security and citizens’ livelihoods.

International Position Supporting Yemen’s Unity

At the international level, Britain renewed its support for the Aden government and the unity of Yemeni territory.

The British Ambassador to Yemen, Abda Sharif, affirmed—following her meeting with Prime Minister Salem bin Breik in Riyadh—that the shared goal is a stable and prosperous future for Yemen, emphasizing the importance of its sovereignty and territorial unity.

Field Tensions Further Complicate the Scene

These political developments come amid a complex field reality, with STC forces continuing to maintain control over Hadramout and Al-Mahra governorates.

In this context, Ali Al-Kathiri, head of the STC’s National Assembly, announced his rejection of any demands to withdraw forces from the Hadramout Valley and Desert, despite growing warnings of the consequences of escalation in a country suffering from a severe humanitarian and economic crisis.

A Pivotal Moment in the Course of the Yemeni Crisis

Yemen today stands before one of its most sensitive political moments since the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council in April 2022.

The declaration of secessionist positions from within the government, alongside firm presidential responses and rising field tensions in the east and south, places the Aden government before a real test to preserve unity of decision-making and prevent a new slide that could deepen political and geographic division in a country exhausted by years of war and conflict.