Ex-Yemen PM Haidar Al-Attas returns to Aden after 30 years

Former Yemeni Prime Minister Haidar Abu Bakr Al-Attas has returned to Aden for the first time in nearly three decades. Yesterday, Al-Attas, a key figure in Yemen’s modern history, accompanied Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of the Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), to the internationally-recognised government’s interim capital, according to the official news agency, Saba.

Al-Attas served as the last president of South Yemen and became the first prime minister following the unification of North and South Yemen in 1990 under late President Ali Abdullah Saleh. He fled the country after the 1994 civil war, which saw him accused of secessionist activity. In 1998, he was sentenced to death in absentia but was granted amnesty in 2003.

وصل العاصمة قبل قليل المهندس #حيدر_ابوبكر_العطاس وهي الزيارة الاولى له منذو ان غادر من العاصمة #عدن عام 94 ..

ان شاء الله تكون زيارة خير له ولشعب #الجنوب..#منخفض_جوي pic.twitter.com/lJXRUj3xz0

— نايف ابو الزعيم الحدي (@naifalhadiy) October 15, 2024

This visit comes amidst internal disputes within the PLC, which has faced challenges since its formation in April 2022. Al-Attas’ return follows his last visit to Hadhramaut Governorate in June 2023.

According to the Sanaa-based Yemen Press Agency, political sources indicate Saudi Arabia facilitated his return, aiming to address tensions with the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC). Al-Attas’ arrival is seen as part of Riyadh’s efforts to restructure the PLC and address the STC’s demands, amid a growing rift between Al-Alimi and his deputy, Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, the STC president.

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