Yemen Monitor / Aden / Exclusive:
A senior official in the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) has urged the United Nations to change its approach to Yemen’s peace process.
Saleh Al-Haj, head of the council’s Foreign Affairs Department, said the current political process no longer reflects realities on the ground, as it has failed to address the Houthis’ ambition to seize control of the entire country.
Speaking to The National, Al-Haj stated that Houthi dominance in northern Yemen has become an established fact that the UN-led peace process refuses to acknowledge.
He added that the group, which launched its offensive to capture Sana’a a decade ago, operates with a “hegemonic mindset” and has no willingness to make concessions.
“The Yemeni peace process has stalled… It is now important to consider a new approach to dealing with Yemen and the Houthis,” he said.
To this end, Al-Haj called on UN representatives and foreign diplomats to relocate their offices from Houthi-held Sana’a to Aden, where the internationally recognized government is based. He explained that such a move would ease access for humanitarian aid, which continues to face obstacles in Houthi-controlled areas due to the detention of UN staff and obstruction of relief operations.
The STC has grown increasingly concerned about being excluded from any future peace talks in Yemen. This stems from its long-standing push to restore an independent South Yemen, a goal supported militarily, financially, and logistically by the United Arab Emirates.
The council sees itself as the sole legitimate representative of southerners, though many southern entities reject its dominance. It fears that a potential settlement between the Houthis and the internationally recognized government could sideline its aspirations, undermining its movement. The STC insists that any peace process that fails to directly and effectively include it will not be sustainable and could perpetuate conflict in the country.
