Independence movements

History of South Yemeni independence and secessionism

From the 1967 independence and 1990 unification, through the 1994 civil war, to the Southern Transitional Council's formation and its 2026 rupture with Yemen's government.

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Independence and unification, 1967-1990

On 30 November 1967, South Arabia became independent from Britain as the People's Republic of South Yemen, renamed the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1970.[1] On 22 May 1990, North and South Yemen unified as the Republic of Yemen.[2]

· Declaration

South Yemeni independence, 1967

South Yemen became independent from Britain as the Arab world's only Marxist state, later renamed the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

· Agreement

Yemeni unification, 1990

North and South Yemen merged into the Republic of Yemen after a decade of preparatory negotiations.

The 1994 civil war

Amid post-unification tensions, Vice President Ali Salim al-Beidh withdrew to Aden in August 1993; southern leaders declared a short-lived, unrecognized secession on 21 May 1994, defeated when northern forces captured Aden on 7 July 1994.[3]

· Other

1994 Yemeni civil war

Southern leaders declared a short-lived, unrecognized secession that was defeated within weeks, reaffirming unification.

The Southern Transitional Council and the Riyadh Agreement

In May 2017, Aidarus al-Zubaidi formed the Southern Transitional Council, which took control of Aden in August 2018.[4][5] Saudi-mediated talks produced the November 2019 Riyadh Agreement, whose stalled implementation led the STC to declare self-administration on 26 April 2020.[6][7]

· Agreement

Riyadh Agreement, 2019

Saudi mediation produced a power-sharing agreement between the internationally recognized government and the STC, whose implementation stalled.

The Presidential Leadership Council and the 2026 rupture

The STC joined Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council when it formed on 7 April 2022, with al-Zubaidi as vice president.[8] On 7 January 2026, the Council expelled al-Zubaidi and filed treason charges against him, amid tension between Saudi-backed and UAE-backed factions and disputes over STC military advances.[9]

Sources for this page

Each number marks a specific claim. Notes give the source, its locator and how it relates to the claim.

  1. 1.

    Claim: On 30 November 1967, following the withdrawal of British colonial authorities from Aden and the surrounding protectorates, South Arabia became independent as the People's Republic of South Yemen; in 1970 it was renamed the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen, the only Marxist state in the Arab world.

  2. 2.

    Claim: On 22 May 1990, the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) unified to form the Republic of Yemen, based on a draft unity constitution originally drawn up in 1981, with Ali Abdullah Saleh (North) and Ali Salim al-Beidh (South) as president and vice president respectively and Sanaa as capital.

  3. 3.

    Claim: Amid economic and political tensions following unification, Vice President Ali Salim al-Beidh withdrew to Aden in August 1993; southern leaders declared secession as the unrecognized Democratic Republic of Yemen on 21 May 1994, triggering a civil war. Northern forces captured Aden on 7 July 1994, defeating the southern secession and reunifying the country; many Yemeni Socialist Party leaders and other southern separatists, including al-Beidh, subsequently went into exile.

    • Yemeni civil war (1994) (Wikipedia) link, Secession, war and outcome sections. Source record
  4. 4.

    Claim: In May 2017, Aidarus al-Zubaidi announced the formation of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), describing it as a southern government-in-waiting aiming to restore sovereignty over the territory of the former People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen, independent 1967-1990).

  5. 5.

    Claim: In January 2018, STC-aligned forces clashed with forces loyal to the internationally recognized government of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi in Aden; in August 2018, STC-aligned forces took full control of Aden and parts of al-Dhale, Lahj and western Abyan governorates.

    • Southern Transitional Council (Wikipedia) link, Aden takeover section. Source record
  6. 6.

    Claim: Following Saudi Arabian mediation, the internationally recognized Yemeni government and the STC signed the Riyadh Agreement in November 2019, providing for the unification of military forces and reorganization of security arrangements in Aden and surrounding governorates under Saudi-led coalition supervision.

    • Southern Transitional Council (Wikipedia) link, Riyadh Agreement section. Source record
  7. 7.

    Claim: On 26 April 2020, amid stalled implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, the STC declared self-administration over Aden and other southern governorates it controlled.

    • Southern Transitional Council (Wikipedia) link, Self-administration declaration section. Source record
  8. 8.

    Claim: On 7 April 2022, Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council was formed as the executive body of the internationally recognized government, after President Hadi resigned and transferred his powers to the new body; the STC held three of the Council's eight seats, and STC leader Aidarus al-Zubaidi became vice president.

    • Presidential Leadership Council (Wikipedia) link, Formation and STC representation sections. Source record
  9. 9.

    Claim: On 7 January 2026, Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council expelled STC leader Aidarus al-Zubaidi and filed treason charges against him, amid tension between Saudi-backed and UAE-backed factions and disputes over STC military advances in Hadramout and Mahra governorates; al-Zubaidi reportedly declined to travel to Saudi Arabia for talks and moved to an unknown location with an armed force. This bundle does not assess developments after this date.

    • Yemen anti-Houthi council expels separatist leader as he faces treason charges (The Times of Israel) link, Expulsion and context sections. Source record

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Printed from https://independenceatlas.com/movements/south-yemen/history · last substantive update 24 September 2026.