Cairo – Sputnik. A local authority source told the agency that “the Southern Transitional Council forces have taken control of the Republican Palace in the city of Seiyun in Hadhramaut Governorate, eastern Yemen, and are approaching the headquarters of the First Military Region.” The leader of the Southern Transitional Council, Mansour Saleh, confirmed that recent statements by Dr. Nasser Al-Khubaji, a member of the council’s presidency and head of the negotiation affairs unit, regarding the option of restoring the southern state, “are not just a passing political stance, but rather a reaffirmation of the fundamental principle upon which the council was established, based on the will of the people of the south.” Saleh told Sputnik: “Dr. Al-Khubaji wanted to affirm to the international community that respect for his people’s right to self-determination is crucial, but he will not accept any solutions or formulas that undermine or circumvent this right.” Saleh added: “Any effort or political initiative that does not address the southern issue fairly will not achieve peace but will open the door to new complications, as ignoring the rightful owners and real actors on the ground means creating a future conflict rather than a sustainable settlement.” The Ansar Allah group has controlled most of the central and northern governorates of Yemen, including the capital Sana’a, since September 2014, while the Saudi-led Arab coalition launched an operation in March 2015 in an attempt to retake those areas.
