Ali has supported southern secession for a decade. He long regarded the STC as the movement most capable of restoring South Yemen’s independence from the north, which has been under Houthi control since the civil war erupted in 2014.

However, remarks made last month by STC leader Aidarus al-Zoubaidi have sparked outrage among Yemenis across the political spectrum, both in the north and the south.

Zoubaidi said the creation of an independent southern state could pave the way for normalisation with Israel. “The STC was heading towards signing an alliance agreement with Israel before 7 October 2023,” he added.

For years, calls for southern secession remained largely peaceful and limited in scope. But in 2016, the separatists’ military and political influence began to grow, bolstered by weapons and funding from the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Today, the STC holds control over most of Yemen’s southern provinces.