Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), has called on the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to immediately withdraw its forces from the eastern provinces of Hadramout and al-Mahra and hand over military camps to government-aligned National Shield Forces and local authorities. The demand, made in statements following an emergency PLC meeting on December 26-27, 2025, emphasizes preserving national unity and responding to Saudi-Emirati mediation efforts.
Al-Alimi urged the STC to "immediately respond to these efforts, withdraw from Hadramout and Al-Mahra, and hand over the camps to the Nation Shield Forces and local authorities, in order to preserve unity and the higher national interest of the country." He described STC actions as posing "serious violations against civilians" and requested the Saudi-led coalition to take immediate protective measures.
The Nation Shield Forces, established in 2023 under Al-Alimi's command as supreme leader of Yemen's armed forces, represent a key government-aligned militia.
The call follows the STC's offensive starting December 3, 2025, when forces seized control of parts of Hadramout after clashes with the Hadramout Tribes Alliance and government-loyal First Military Region troops. Within days, the STC expanded into al-Mahra without significant resistance, gaining control over nearly half of Yemen's territory, including oil-rich areas and strategic border regions.
The advances have strained the fragile anti-Houthi coalition, prompting Saudi Arabia to demand an "urgent and orderly" withdrawal and warn of countermeasures. A joint Saudi-Emirati delegation has been mediating in Aden to secure a pullback, but the STC has rejected calls, vowing to "secure" the provinces while expressing openness to coordination.
The 2019 Riyadh Agreement, brokered by Saudi Arabia, aimed to integrate the STC into government institutions and unify forces after earlier Aden clashes. Critics argue the STC's moves undermine this framework and risk deeper fragmentation in Yemen's protracted conflict.
The Yemeni government insists on territorial unity, denying claims of southern marginalization. As tensions persist, regional powers prioritize de-escalation to avoid broader instability amid the ongoing war with Iran-backed Houthis.
