Final Statement Issued by the Massive Million-Person Popular Rally (Capital Aden – Khormaksar – Al-Oroudh Square)

النقابي الجنوبي / خاص

In the Name of God, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful

O great masses of the Arab Southern people,
O guardians of land, identity, and sovereignty,
O you who have written the modern history of the South with your pure blood, who stood firm in the face of invaders, conspiracies, and guardianship, and whose will was never broken despite bombardment, siege, and dark plots.

Today, we gather in this historic square in response to the call of national duty, and as a true embodiment of the will of a people who have decided to speak clearly and to put an end to all attempts at manipulation, confiscation, and guardianship over their cause and national project.

This massive popular gathering comes as a clear and unequivocal affirmation of the Southern people’s steadfast commitment to the Southern Transitional Council as the legitimate political representative of their national cause, and to its leadership that has been granted popular mandate—foremost among them President and Leader Aidarus bin Qasim Al-Zubaidi. It also represents an absolute rejection of any attempts to bypass or override this will through decisions or statements extracted under illegitimate circumstances that do not reflect the will of the Southern people or their institutions.

As these masses express their full support for the political statement issued by the Southern Transitional Council, they affirm that this statement embodies the aspirations of the Southern people through a clear, responsible, and gradual political path, grounded in popular mandate, safeguarding the South’s right to restore its state, and offering the region and the international community a realistic option for stability.

The gathered masses further affirm that any declaration, statement, or measure that contradicts the will of the Southern people, or is issued outside their legitimate institutions, is politically and popularly null and void, carries no effect, and imposes no obligation whatsoever on the Southern people or their national forces.

Accordingly, the masses of the Southern people declare the following:

First: Full adherence to the Southern Transitional Council as the political bearer of the Southern people’s cause, and the rejection of any attempts to dismantle it, replace it, or bypass its popular legitimacy.

Second: Full rallying around President and Leader Aidarus bin Qasim Al-Zubaidi, and affirmation that the smear campaigns and political targeting he faces are in fact an attack on the will of the Southern people themselves.
President Al-Zubaidi has never been an individual project, but rather a manifestation of a collective will and a symbol of a struggle phase in which he expressed his people’s aspirations with clarity and steadfastness. The masses affirm their categorical rejection of any attempts to undermine him or to break the trust between him and his people, and consider this a red line, as any harm to the popularly mandated leadership is a direct assault on the will of the South and its national choices.

Third: Support for the political statement issued by the Southern Transitional Council on January 2, as an expression of popular will and an organized political path toward restoring the Southern state, not an impulsive or unilateral step.

Fourth: Rejection of any dialogue, conference, or political process in which the Southern people and their legitimate representative are not an essential part, or that bypasses their will and sacrifices, or is imposed from outside the land.

Fifth: Affirmation that the right of the Southern people to restore their state is an inalienable right that cannot be confiscated or postponed, and that it will be achieved by their free will regardless of the challenges and whatever the cost may be.

Sixth: Renewal of the pledge to stand behind the Southern armed and security forces in carrying out their national duties to protect the land, ensure stability, and defend the gains of the Southern people.

Seventh: A call to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to base its approach to the Southern cause on respect for the will of the Southern people and their national choices, and not to be a party to any process that bypasses this will or imposes solutions that do not reflect it. The South has been and will remain a factor of stability in its surroundings and a responsible partner in protecting regional security, international waterways, and combating terrorism.
The masses of the Southern people also call upon their brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to deal responsibly with the leaders of the Southern Transitional Council currently present in Riyadh, to release them, and to enable their safe return to the capital Aden, in a manner consistent with fraternal norms, legal obligations, and the requirements of de-escalation and stability.

Eighth: A call to the region and the international community to respect the will of the Southern people and to engage with it seriously and responsibly, away from policies of diktat or ready-made solutions.

In conclusion, we affirm that the Southern people will remain united, aware, and steadfast, and that their cause will move forward toward its objectives regardless of the magnitude of conspiracies. The will of peoples is neither defeated nor kidnapped.

(Glory and eternity to the righteous martyrs, healing to the wounded, and victory to the Arab Southern people.)

Issued by the Massive Million-Person Popular Rally
Capital Aden
16 January 2026