Saudi Arabia accused of withholding salaries to pressure STC factions in Aden

ADEN, Feb. 14 (YPA) – Saudi Arabia has continued, for the second consecutive month, to block the payment of salaries to some of the most prominent armed factions affiliated with the “dissolved” Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the city of Aden, imposing conditions described by sources as “humiliating and unfair.”

A source familiar with the matter disclosed details of behind-the-scenes pressure exerted by the Saudi delegate in Aden, Falah Al-Shahrani. He reportedly conditioned the release of salaries for the “Storm” Factions—led by Awsan Al-Anshali and previously funded by the UAE until the end of last year—on the full surrender of recruits’ weapons, in preparation for their integration into the so-called “National Security” forces.

According to the sources, Al-Shahrani’s demands were widely rejected by the Storm’s leadership.

Tensions escalated after he allegedly proposed granting recruits only 1,000 Saudi riyals in exchange for handing over both personal and heavy weapons. Armed members viewed the offer as a deliberate attempt to humiliate them and dismantle their operational capacity.

Observers believed the Saudi measures were aimed at dismantling the Storm faction, which former STC head Aidarous al-Zoubaidi had relied upon.

This comes after pro-Riyadh forces consolidated control over southern and eastern provinces of Yemen following the conclusion of the UAE’s role in the coalition and Al-Zoubaidi’s removal from the Presidential Leadership Council.

Analysts argued that dissolving the Storm forces as a cohesive force would ease concerns among pro-Saudi forces in Aden, particularly after aerial strikes targeting pro-transitional elements in areas of Hadramout and Dhalea, and amid uncertainty surrounding al-Zoubaidi’s whereabouts.

Critics have accused Riyadh of pursuing a policy of “systematic starvation” against the factions to weaken the STC’s influence in Aden and shift loyalty toward the chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, and the Saudi-backed Aden government led by Shaya al-Zindani.

Despite these pressures, field reports indicate that segments of the Transitional leadership continue to rely on factions that have resisted Saudi inducements and demands, viewing them as the “last shield” capable of shaping the outcome in Aden should a “Zero Hour” be declared and the military situation escalate.

AA