Hope flickers as lights return to war-scarred Aden
Key southern Yemeni city enters delicate new phase as internationally recognised government re-establishes its presence.

Key southern Yemeni city enters delicate new phase as internationally recognised government re-establishes its presence.

![Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) wave flags of the STC and the United Arab Emirates, during a rally in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026. [Fawaz Salman/Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2026-01-01T154128Z_399639583_RC2DSIA7WFRP_RTRMADP_3_YEMEN-SECURITY-1769606847.jpg?resize=770%2C513&quality=80)







Al Jazeera examines the groups fighting for control in Yemen and the resulting humanitarian situation on the ground.
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Saudi Arabia says it will soon host a dialogue between Yemen’s main players.
Rashad al-Alimi’s address came as thousands of people rallied in Aden in support of the Southern Transitional Council.
![People attend a rally organised by Yemen's main separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), in Aden, Yemen December 21, 2025. [Fawaz Salman/Reuters]](/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/2025-12-21T170029Z_353325091_RC22LIACEYLH_RTRMADP_3_YEMEN-SECURTY_cropped-1767985630.jpg?resize=730%2C410&quality=80)
An official with Yemen’s separatist Southern Transitional Council rejected an announcement that the group is disbanding.

“The [Southern Transitional Council in Yemen] has now become just too poisonous.”

Yemen’s main southern separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council has announced it is to disband.
The STC, which Saudi Arabia says is backed by the UAE, launched an offensive against Yemeni gov’t troops in December.