"Thousands took to the streets of Yemen’s remote Socotra Island on Sunday to show their support for the Southern Transitional Council (STC) and its President, Aidarus Al Zoubaidi, amid a growing political dispute over the council’s future. Footage shows crowds marching through Socotra’s streets, waving flags of the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen and portraits of Al Zoubaidi, while chanting pro-STC and anti-Presidential Council slogans. "Today, the people of Socotra rallied to reaffirm their pledge to President Aidarus Al Zoubaidi and to underscore that foreign countries’ claims about the dissolution of the STC are baseless," said Abdul Latif Mubarak, a member of the STC’s Advisory Council. “The STC cannot be dissolved except through the will and mandate of the people, just as it was established," he added. Echoing the sentiment, Selif Al Suqutri, a tribal leader from the Nogd area of Socotra, emphasised, "Our message is clear: we stand against extremism, terrorism, and any agendas. We are calling for a legitimate cause – an independent southern state – which is irreversible." The rally comes after several STC members declared the council dissolved during a televised statement in Riyadh, where they were taking part in a Saudi-led dialogue involving various southern factions. Saudi Minister of Defence Khalid bin Salman hailed the announcement as 'courageous' and voiced support for the southern cause, posting on X: "The South's cause now has a genuine path, fostered by the Kingdom and supported by the international community through the Riyadh Conference." However, STC spokesperson Anwar Al Tamimi responded on X, stating: "The decisions related to the council could only be made by the council as a whole and its president." The political tension escalated earlier this week when a spokesperson for the Arab Coalition claimed that President Al Zoubaidi had 'fled to an unknown location.' The STC swiftly denied the report, asserting that he ‘continues to perform his duties in the capital, Aden, alongside his people, overseeing and monitoring the situation directly,’ in a post on X."