STC imposes ban on political activities in southern governorates

ADEN, Aug. 16 (YPA) – The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) announced on Thursday  significant measures targeting its partners in the Presidential Leadership Council and the government loyal to Saudi-led coalition , amid tensions in the city of Aden.

In a meeting chaired by the President of the National Assembly, Ali Al-Kathiri, and attended by the STC’s ministers in the pro-coalition government, the STC confirmed its decision to ban all political activities of political parties, including those affiliated with the government, in Aden and other southern governorates.

The STC labeled the political maneuvers of party forces as hostile to the southern cause and firmly rejected any political activities in Aden outside what it termed as the “National Charter” signed by southern political entities and parties.

Political observers viewed the STC’s actions as a defiance against the Presidential Leadership Council and the pro-coalition government, which is an integral part of it according to the Riyadh Consultations that led Saudi Arabia to oust Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi and his deputy, Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar, in April 2022.

The ban comes after the STC loyalists stormed an event in Aden marking International Youth Day, organized by the Ministry of Youth and Sports. They expelled the participants while displaying STC slogans.

@E.Y.M