Dr. Adeel Altuhaish
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Since gaining independence from British colonial rule on November 30, 1967, South Arabia stood as a model of a sovereign and stable state. The People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen established effective institutions, a disciplined army, and professional security services. Strategically located on the shores of one of the world’s most vital maritime passages—Bab al-Mandab—the southern state played a crucial role in maintaining regional stability and safeguarding international security.
However, this stability began to unravel with the Yemeni unity project in 1990, which later served as a pretext for a full-scale military invasion of the South during the 1994 war. That invasion dismantled southern state institutions, marginalized its skilled cadres, and plundered its resources. Since then, the South has faced a systematic policy of exclusion and has been left vulnerable to terrorist groups under the rule of dominant northern elites in Sana’a.
The situation further deteriorated with the Iranian-backed Houthi militia’s takeover of Sana’a and their subsequent advance into the South, including the capital city of Aden. In response, southern resistance forces heroically defended their land, identity, and people, sacrificing thousands of martyrs and wounded in the process.
Amid this turmoil, the Arab Coalition—led by Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates—intervened to counter the Iranian project in the region. Southern forces successfully liberated their territory and laid the foundation for a capable military and security apparatus, forming the nucleus of a southern national army.
Following the liberation of Aden and other southern provinces, the internationally recognized government returned to the South with coalition support. Yet, living conditions, public services, and security remained dire, plagued by administrative failure and rampant corruption. This led to a unified southern response: the establishment of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in 2017 to represent the southern cause and articulate the aspirations of its people.
Despite entering into political agreements with the government, most notably the Riyadh Agreement, the STC’s efforts were met with non-compliance. The government failed to fulfill its commitments, instigated crises in the South, and obstructed development—all while neglecting the northern frontlines still under Houthi control. This exposed a troubling agenda among influential northern actors within the government, who diverted the conflict from liberating the North to undermining the South and its political project.
Southern aspirations for partnership and institution-building were met with rejection from northern forces, who continue to view the South as a domain of domination rather than focusing on reclaiming territories occupied by the Houthis. This has only strengthened the South’s resolve to restore its independent state and establish modern, stable governance structures.
In contrast, southern forces have demonstrated their capacity to maintain security, combat terrorism, and protect global shipping lanes—particularly in light of escalating Houthi attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab. With the Yemeni state’s failure to fulfill its role, an independent South has become the most realistic and effective option for ensuring regional stability.
The restoration of the southern state is no longer a local issue exclusive to southerners; it is now a strategic imperative dictated by geography and shared global interests. A stable and sovereign South will be a reliable partner in the fight against terrorism, the protection of international trade routes, and the confrontation of Iranian expansionism and its regional proxies.
Supporting the South’s right to restore its independent state is not only a historical obligation—it is a practical step toward reinforcing stability in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa, and preventing future cycles of chaos and collapse fueled by decades of corruption and centralized domination.
