Yemen separatists in Riyadh announce disputed 'dissolution'

AFP , Friday 9 Jan 2026

A delegation of Yemeni separatists in Riyadh said their group was dissolving on Friday after a failed land grab, but the announcement was dismissed by its spokesman who called it "ridiculous".

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Southern Transitional Council (STC) secretary general Abdulrahman al-Subaihi read a prepared statement on a Saudi TV news channel.

"We announce the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council," read the statement, which was also carried by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government's official news agency.

It also pledged their "commitment to working towards achieving our just southern goal through preparations for a comprehensive southern conference under the auspices of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia".

Subaihi is among a 50-plus STC delegation that has been incommunicado since arriving in Riyadh in the early hours of Wednesday.

The delegation was summoned to Riyadh after the United Arab Emirates-backed STC seized swathes of territory last month before being repelled by Saudi warplanes and pro-Saudi forces.

However, STC spokesman Anwar al-Tamimi, who is in Abu Dhabi, rejected the announcement coming out of Saudi Arabia.

"This news is ridiculous," he told AFP, confirming the delegation remained out of contact.

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