UAE-backed separatists in South Yemen call for independence vote as Riyadh-Abu Dhabi tensions peak

Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council leader Aidarous al‑Zubaidi announces a two‑year transitional process toward possible independence for South Yemen, calling for internationally sponsored north–south talks, a UN‑style monitored referendum on southern self‑determination, and continued functioning of state institutions under an Aden‑based central bank, while warning that if dialogue fails or the south is attacked, a constitutional declaration restoring “South Arabia” will take full effect earlier and that “all options” remain on the table.