Southern Transitional Council moves to consolidate security and administration in Yemen’s South amid government absence

ADEN, YEMEN, December 23, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) has stepped up security operations and administrative planning across southern and eastern governorates, citing the prolonged absence of the internationally recognised government from Aden and mounting counter-terrorism and smuggling threats, according to multiple political and security sources.

Sources from both the STC and the government said the council is considering the formation of a temporary administrative body to manage southern governorates if the government does not return to the interim capital within a period ranging from two weeks to one month. The move, they said, is being discussed as a stopgap measure to ensure continuity of governance, public services and security.

Prime Minister Salem bin Buraik, along with senior officials including Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Chairman Rashad Al-Alimi, departed Aden earlier this month and have yet to return, leaving large parts of the south without an active central administration.

The STC views the continued absence as a political and administrative vacuum at a time when southern governorates are facing heightened security risks. According to sources, the council believes the lack of government presence has placed additional pressure on local authorities and security forces tasked with maintaining stability.

Anwar Al-Tamimi, official spokesperson for the Southern Transitional Council, said the council’s priority remains security and counter-terrorism operations.
“Our focus at this stage is the security dimension and confronting terrorist groups and international smuggling gangs,” Al-Tamimi told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed. Asked about reports of a possible interim administration, he added: “If securing the south and protecting it from terrorism requires an administrative or political measure, we will not hesitate to take it.”

The comments come as STC-aligned forces continue a large-scale military operation launched earlier this month, which resulted in the council taking control of Hadramout and Al-Mahrah – strategic provinces that include key oil facilities and eastern border crossings. STC officials say the operation was aimed at curbing arms smuggling routes and preventing the infiltration of Al-Qaeda and other extremist groups exploiting weak state oversight.

Military spokesman Lt Col Mohammed Al-Naqeeb said newly deployed units in the Hadramout Valley and adjacent desert areas were part of “continuing efforts to eradicate terrorism and enhance security and stability.”

Political sources said the STC is also exploring coordination with other forces, including the National Resistance based in Mokha, as part of broader discussions on managing security and administration in the south.

Last week, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned that a return to large-scale fighting in Yemen could have serious repercussions for the Red Sea, the Gulf of Aden and the Horn of Africa. He urged all parties to exercise restraint and stressed the need to avoid actions that could escalate tensions in an already fragile environment.

Nearly five million Yemenis remain displaced by the conflict, according to the United Nations.

Analysts say the latest developments underscore a widening gap between political institutions operating largely outside the country and local authorities managing day-to-day security challenges on the ground. In southern Yemen, the STC has increasingly positioned itself as the primary actor addressing security threats amid what it describes as prolonged governance paralysis.
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Abhishek Sengupta
Middle East Media Corp.
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