Yemen: Southern Separatists ‘create own economy’ in Aden

The separatists of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen have created a separate economy in the south of the country and obstructed the role of the Yemeni government, an economic researcher has claimed. Faisal Abdul-Ghani made his comments in an interview with Al-Araby Al-Jadeed.

He claimed that after returning to the interim capital of Aden, the Yemeni government has realised that the UAE-backed STC’s control over that and other governorates in southern Yemen has allowed it to dominate public revenues and create its own economy. It has apparently infiltrated many economic, commercial, and investment sectors such as communications, real estate, and fuel trading.

Abdul-Ghani explained that the Yemeni government has escalated fighting in Ma’rib governorate in a bid to create a new route to export oil and liquefied natural gas, especially from the Safer fields in Ma’rib, in order to generate revenue. However, the fighting on the outskirts of the oil province has affected all plans to exploit the most important available natural resource.

Yemen has been facing a stifling crisis due to the significant reduction in available revenue. This prevents the government from managing state institutions in the interim capital of Aden and securing employees’ salaries.

READ: Armed clashes erupt between STC forces, protesters in Yemen’s Aden