The STC, the English abbreviation for the Southern Transitional Council, launched a military offensive a month ago that quickly conquered large parts of Yemen.
But when Yemen's internationally recognized government received help from its powerful neighbor Saudi Arabia, things turned around just as quickly. With aerial bombings and ultimatums, the government regained a lot of ground.
A delegation from the STC, which is supported by the United Arab Emirates, traveled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the other day to negotiate. But even then, questions grew, because the leader Aidarus al-Zubaidi did not accompany the delegation but instead - according to the Saudi military - was smuggled via Somalia to the United Arab Emirates.
The STC then said it had lost contact with the delegation in Riyadh. Until a sudden television broadcast on Friday:
"We announce the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council," said the movement's Secretary-General, Abd al-Rahman al-Subaihi.
However, the AFP news agency notes that al-Subaihi behaved strangely during the broadcast. An STC representative in the United Arab Emirates quickly dismissed the report.
"This information is ridiculous," Anwar al-Tamimi told AFP, pointing out that the delegation in Riyadh still does not seem to be able to communicate freely with the outside world.
The STC advocates formally dividing Yemen again, similar to when North and South Yemen existed from 1967 to 1990. In practice, the country is currently divided between the eastern parts held by the government, with the support of Saudi Arabia, and the western parts controlled by the Iran-backed Houthi movement.
