STC could form parallel administration in southern Yemen 'within weeks'

The Southern Transitional Council could move to declare a parallel administration in Yemen to govern areas under its control, following the capture of Hadramaut and Mahra earlier this month, officials within the separatist movement have indicated.

According to sources cited by The New Arab's Arabic-language sister site, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed, the STC will declare its own administration if the internationally-recognised government does not return to take charge of affairs in the south within two weeks to a month.

Multiple sources from within the STC and the government indicated that the STC is seriously considering the formation of a small, interim government to manage the south, given that Prime Minister Salem bin Braik's administration has not returned to Aden.

Bin Braik, along with other senior government officials, including Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) head Rashad al-Alimi, were reported to have left Aden earlier this month.

The STC considers the government’s failure to return to Aden as a form of punishment against the council, which the STC is part of. The separatist group also believes that al-Alimi and the government are declaring war on it, and so is hastening the creation of a separate state in southern Yemen.

The new administration could work with other groups to set up the new administration, including the National Resistance in Mokha.

According to the sources, the international quartet on Yemen - the United States, Britain, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE -  is pressuring the STC not to escalate or make serious moves towards separatism.  

Despite the STC's ultimatum, sources within the internationally-recognised Yemeni government told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that, so far, there are no indications of a rapid return of the Bin Braik government to the south, particularly as Rashad Al-Alimi is still awaiting the response of the quartet and other actors to the STC's takeover of Hadramaut and Mahra.

However, STC spokesperson Anwar Al-Tamimi said in a statement to Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the group's current focus is “on the security dimension and confronting terrorist groups and international smuggling gangs".

However, when asked whether this meant the information about declaring a government was inaccurate, Al-Tamimi responded: "If securing the south and protecting it from the dangers of terrorism requires an administrative or political measure, we will not hesitate."

“Forming a government is linked to security assessments, meaning that if managing the security and military battle requires forming a government, we will not hesitate to do so," he added.

Yemeni academic researcher Moeen Al-Awad told Al-Araby Al-Jadeed that the option of forming a small administration would represent an advanced step for the STC. He added that it could face economic sanctions and military action by Saudi Arabia and the Yemeni government if it does this. 

It would be a step with no return, especially if the UAE and Saudi Arabia fail to reach an agreement to end this escalation while preserving the rights of all parties, he added.