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World
The Southern Transitional Council urged residents of southern provinces to hold peaceful protests rejecting worsening living, service, and economic conditions.
The Southern Transitional Council issued a call on Monday evening for citizens in the southern provinces to participate in extensive peaceful protests. This action aims to express rejection of the worsening living standards, public services, and economic conditions, while holding the authorities responsible for managing the country's affairs accountable for the escalating crisis.
In an official statement published on its website, the council described the current situation faced by citizens as "catastrophic," highlighting the ongoing decline in essential services, rising prices, delays in salary payments, and unprecedented worsening of living hardships.
The statement emphasized that the current crises are no longer mere administrative or economic disruptions but clear evidence of the failure of policies imposed on the south. It also criticized the continued treatment of the southern population with a mentality of guardianship, subjugation, and collective punishment.
The council affirmed that essential services, salaries, electricity, water, and living stability are citizens' rights rather than tools to be manipulated or withheld based on political considerations. It stressed that providing these services is a responsibility of the entities managing the current phase.
The statement pointed out that past years have demonstrated that neglecting the southern issue and ignoring the popular will in the south have contributed to deepening crises and complicating the situation. It considered that the suffering of citizens is sometimes used as a political pressure card.
The Southern Transitional Council asserted that the current crisis extends beyond service and living conditions, indicating that the struggle also targets the rights and political aspirations of the southern people. The council reiterated its commitment to the right to self-determination and the restoration of the southern state.
The statement urged residents of the south, including those in the temporary capital Aden and other southern provinces, to engage in peaceful mass protests. The goal is to send a message to local, regional, and international parties rejecting the continuation of deteriorating living and service conditions.
Concluding its statement, the council emphasized that peaceful protests represent a means to express popular will. It called on citizens to unite and articulate their demands in a civilized and peaceful manner.
Meanwhile, the provinces of Aden and Hadramout have witnessed an escalation in popular protests over the past two days. These protests condemned prolonged power outages amid the severe summer heat. Citizens in several districts participated in marches on foot, while others blocked roads and burned damaged car tires.
Residents of Aden also initiated what they termed the "Mattress Revolution," where many citizens brought out their mattresses and sat on street sidewalks as an unconventional form of protest.
In the Sheikh Othman district in northern Aden, security personnel reportedly opened fire during protests on Monday evening, injuring a citizen with a serious head wound. The injured individual was transferred to a hospital for treatment, and his condition was described as "critical."
