Southern Yemen is now at a major historical turning point, comparable to that of November 30, 1967, when the last British soldier left Aden, paving the way for the birth of a sovereign southern state. This event marked not only the end of colonial rule, but also the founding of a modern southern national identity, unified after decades of political and tribal fragmentation.
For the first time in the Arabian Peninsula, a republican state was led by its own citizens, who were able to build public institutions, an education system, health facilities, and national security forces. Despite limited resources and a complex regional environment, the South demonstrated its ability to govern and preserve real social cohesion.
A failed unity and an irreversible break
Unification with the North in 1990, presented as a historic project, quickly turned into an asymmetrical relationship. The war in the summer of 1994 marked a definitive break: the military crushing of the South, the destruction of its institutions, and the systematic exclusion of its elites put an end to any illusion of an equitable partnership. For the people of the South, this war was experienced as a second occupation, even more brutal than the previous one.
Since then, economic marginalization, land confiscation, political erasure, and repression have fueled a deep sense of injustice. It was this reality that gave rise, in 2007, to a peaceful popular movement, followed by armed resistance in the face of the collapse of the state and the rise of security threats.
The return of the southern state project
From 2015 onwards, the liberation of the main cities in the South opened a new phase. Local forces gradually ensured security, repelled extremist groups, and restored a minimum level of governance. The structuring of Southern political representation made it possible to bring a clear project to the regional and international stage: the restoration of an independent, viable, and responsible Southern state.
This project is neither ideological nor nostalgic. It is based on a simple observation: no lasting solution can emerge as long as the South remains deprived of its right to self-determination and management of its own resources.
Hadramaut: strategic pillar and future political center
In this dynamic, the province of Hadramaut occupies a central place. With its size, energy resources, maritime access, and relative social stability, it is the geopolitical and economic heart of the South. The security successes achieved in its cities and desert areas have shown that a strong local administration can effectively contain extremism.
Making Hadramaut a political center or administrative capital does not mean marginalizing Aden, the historical and political symbol of the South. On the contrary, it is a strategic choice aimed at balancing development, decentralizing power, and strengthening territorial unity.
A bulwark against terrorism and ideological expansion
The existence of a stable southern state is now one of the most credible levers for combating terrorism in the region. Extremist groups thrive in chaos, gray areas, and the absence of authority. Where southern forces have imposed order, these groups have retreated.
At the same time, the South plays a vital role in protecting international shipping lanes and limiting the spread of radical ideologies that threaten not only Yemen but the entire region.
Regional ambiguities and political realism
The position of certain regional actors remains marked by strategic ambiguity. On the one hand, the South is recognized as an essential security partner. On the other hand, its political aspirations are often rejected in the name of short-term geopolitical calculations. However, experience shows that indefinitely postponing the Southern question only fuels instability.
Lasting peace cannot be built on the denial of deep-rooted popular realities. Two stable, cooperative, and recognized entities are better than an artificial state doomed to permanent failure.
A demand framed by law and dialogue
Supporting the right of southern Yemen to regain political sovereignty does not mean promoting armed confrontation or denying the need for a negotiated framework. Any lasting change must be achieved through a structured political process based on international law, popular consent, and regional guarantees.
Self-determination cannot be reduced to a slogan. It requires responsible institutions, respect for minorities, cooperation with neighbors, and integration into a stable regional order. In this sense, recognizing the aspirations of the South is not a threat to peace, but an opportunity to rebuild it on realistic and sustainable foundations.
The time for choice
Southern Yemen is no longer in the phase of symbolic demands. It has entered the phase of political and institutional construction. Its people have paid a considerable human price to defend their dignity, security, and future.
Recognizing this right is not a threat to regional stability; it is a prerequisite for it. A responsible southern state would be a reliable partner against extremism, a guarantor of maritime security, and a factor of lasting stability in the south of the Arabian Peninsula. Refusing to acknowledge this reality means prolonging indefinitely a crisis whose primary victims remain the civilian populations.
