Skip to main content

Yemen's STC aims to hold an independence referendum in two years

1 min Mena Today

Yemen's southern separatist movement said on Friday it aims to hold a referendum on independence from the north in two years following its seizure of swathes of the country last month in a move that triggered a major feud between Gulf powers.

Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) wave flags of the STC and the United Arab Emirates, during a rally in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026. Reuters/Fawaz Salman

Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) wave flags of the STC and the United Arab Emirates, during a rally in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026. Reuters/Fawaz Salman

Yemen's southern separatist movement said on Friday it aims to hold a referendum on independence from the north in two years following its seizure of swathes of the country last month in a move that triggered a major feud between Gulf powers.

The Southern Transitional Council (STC) is backed by the United Arab Emirates and has for years been part of Yemen's internationally recognised government which is supported by Saudi Arabia and has led the fight against the Houthi movement.

Reporting by Maha El Dahan, Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba

Related

Iran

Police probe Iran-linked group over attacks on Jewish sites

British police said they are investigating possible Iran links to a series of arson attacks on Jewish targets in London, which the UK chief rabbi said showed a sustained campaign of violence against the Jewish community was gathering momentum.

Iran

No more Mr. nice guy: Trump's most explosive Iran threat yet

In a characteristically combative post published Sunday, US President Donald Trump issued his most explicit military threat yet against Iran, warning that the United States would "knock out every single Power Plant, and every single Bridge in Iran" if Tehran refuses to accept Washington's proposed deal.

Israel

Israeli military reveals map of Lebanon buffer zone

The Israeli military published for the first time a map of its new deployment line inside Lebanon on Sunday, bringing dozens of mostly abandoned Lebanese villages under its control, days after a ceasefire with Hezbollah took effect.  

Subscribe to our newsletter

Mena banner 4

To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.

  • Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.