STC leaders based in Riyadh suspends participation in “Special Committee” meetings

RIYADH, April 11 (YPA) – Informed political sources have revealed a state of defiance among the leadership of the “dissolved” Southern Transitional Council (STC) currently in the Saudi capital, Riyadh, culminating in the suspension of their participation in all meetings held by the Saudi “Special Committee.”

Sources confirmed that this escalation follows the recent events in Mukalla city of Hadramout governorate. The STC leadership has conditioned its return to the meetings on decisive actions, including:

• The dismissal and accountability of the Governor of Hadramout, Salem Al-Khanbashi.
• The removal of the Ministers of Defense and Interior in the government of “Shayea Al-Zindani.”
• Addressing the dismissal of recruits from Dhalea and Lahj governorates from the “Barasheed Brigade.”

The STC loyalists set a package of conditions to resume dialogue with the Saudi committee, most notably:

• Reopening all Council offices closed by the Saudi delegate in Aden, “Falah Al-Shahrani.”
• Restoring the status quo in the southern governorates to how it was prior to the targeting of STC forces in Hadramout and Mahra in late December.

In a related context, the STC leaders stationed in Riyadh expressed categorical rejection of what they described as the “fragmentation and tearing apart” of their loyal military factions under the guises of “restructuring and redeployment.”

Furthermore, they emphasized their absolute refusal of efforts to return leaders loyal to the Islah Party to Aden, accusing them of involvement in the events of August 2019.

YPA