Yemen: Mass Rallies Mark Anniversary of Southern Army’s Founding

Aden — Hundreds of thousands of supporters of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) gathered in Aden and Hadramawt on Tuesday to commemorate the 55th anniversary of the founding of the Southern Army, established on September 1, 1971.

Crowds poured into Aden from Shabwa, Abyan, Lahj, and al-Dhalea the home region of STC President Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who also serves as supreme commander of the Southern Armed Forces. 

Demonstrators celebrated the role of southern forces in battles against Iran-backed Houthi militias, counterterrorism operations, and securing international shipping lanes in Bab al-Mandab, the Gulf of Aden, and the Red and Arabian Seas.

Organizers of the “Million-Man Rally” issued a statement declaring that the south, represented by Aden and Hadramawt, had gathered to showcase its achievements, foremost among them the Southern Armed Forces. 

The statement highlighted the military’s contributions to regional and international security, including combating terrorism and piracy threatening global maritime routes.

The declaration praised al-Zubaidi’s leadership in rebuilding the modern southern army, blending battlefield experience with new recruits from the southern resistance. 

It pledged to safeguard the armed forces as a sovereign national institution, honor the sacrifices of fallen soldiers, and remain loyal to the southern cause and leadership.

The statement condemned attempts to weaken or dismantle southern forces, warning that such efforts only strengthen the Houthis. 

It stressed that decisions of war and peace remain a sovereign southern prerogative, and that the armed forces will continue defending the south against threats posed by Houthi militias, which it described as a direct danger to regional security and international navigation.

The rally also rejected initiatives aimed at undermining the southern cause or the STC’s legitimacy, vowing to resist “fabricated councils” and reaffirming commitment to the political declaration issued on January 2, 2026, which outlines a path toward independence and the restoration of a southern state within the 1990 borders.