President Al-Alimi: Developments on Ground Are Promising and Refute Claims of a Vacuum and Worst-Case Scenarios

  Riyadh

His Excellency President Dr. Rashad Mohammed Al-Alimi, President of the Presidential Leadership Council, said that state institutions are making tangible progress in unifying security and military decision-making. He added that basic services in the liberated governorates are improving, with generous support from the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

In remarks during a meeting today, Thursday, with the ambassadors of the countries sponsoring the political process in Yemen, President Al-Alimi said that “the state has embarked on serious measures to unify security and military command. These measures include the withdrawal of forces and armed formations from the interim capital Aden and the capitals of the governorates, steps that had stalled for years even after the signing of the Riyadh Agreement in November 2019.”

He affirmed that the government is proceeding with the closure of all illegal detention facilities and has tasked the National Commission to Investigate Alleged Violations of Human Rights—an independent mechanism supported by the international community—to conduct field visits and carry out its mandate to the fullest extent.

The President pointed to the rapid improvement in services in the liberated governorates, particularly electricity and water in the interim capital Aden, where power generation increased from two hours per day to approximately 14 hours. He also cited the commitment of all institutions to remit revenues to the government’s account at the Central Bank as clear evidence that the stability of state institutions is directly reflected in citizens’ daily lives.

President Al-Alimi further noted that the brotherly Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has completed the payment of salaries for all military formations that were previously funded by Abu Dhabi. He added that the Kingdom has also bolstered the general budget with salaries for public-sector employees and launched service and development projects in several governorates at a cost approaching SAR 2 billion.

On the political front, the President said “preparations are underway for the convening of the Southern–Southern Dialogue under the generous patronage of the Kingdom, with the participation of all southern components, without exclusion or marginalization.”

He added that filling vacancies within the Presidential Leadership Council, appointing a new Prime Minister, and naming a new governor for Aden reflect the smoothness of decision-making. These steps also demonstrate the reconstitution of state institutions in accordance with the Constitution, the Declaration of Transfer of Power, and the rules governing the work of the Council and its supporting bodies, after years of paralysis and division.

The President stressed that these steps are not promises but realities on the ground. He affirmed that the liberated governorates will be transformed into a workshop and a launchpad to realize the aspirations of the Yemeni people and the shared objectives with the international community in defeating the Houthi coup, combating terrorism, and securing maritime corridors.

In this context, President Al-Alimi expressed surprise at the Emirati reaction to this course, particularly the promotion of claims that ending the Emirati presence would open the door to a surge in terrorism.

He said that “experience has proven that the duplication of security decision-making, multiple loyalties, and illegal prisons do not eliminate terrorism but rather reproduce it. Accordingly, the state is working to shift the confrontation from managing risk to addressing its root causes through a single sovereign decision.”

The President also referred to serious human rights violations uncovered following the end of the Emirati presence, including torture and enforced disappearances in illegal detention facilities. He emphasized that such practices do not combat extremism but instead fuel it.

President Al-Alimi affirmed that the roots of the suffering and destruction afflicting the country stem from the Houthi coup backed by the Iranian regime. He called on the international community to move from crisis management to contributing to its resolution by supporting the legitimate government to extend its authority over all Yemeni territory and ensuring accountability and an end to impunity.

The meeting was attended by Dr. Yahya Al-Shuaibi, the Director of the Office of the Presidency of the Republic, and Mr. Mustafa Noman, the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates.