President Al-Zubaidi Holds Expanded Meeting with Local, Military, Security, and Social Leaders in the Capital, Aden

President Aidarous Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), Supreme Commander of the Southern Armed Forces, and Vice Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), held on Sunday evening an expanded meeting with local authority officials, military commanders and security officers, local leadership executive bodies (LLEBs) of the STC, and social personalities in the capital, Aden.

President Al-Zubaidi delivered a speech, the full text of which is as follows:

In the Name of Allah, the most Gracious, the most Merciful.

All praise be to Allah, Lord of the Worlds, for reaching the blessed month of Ramadan, a month of mercy, forgiveness, and salvation from the Fire (of Hell), and His peace and blessings be upon our Prophet Muhammad [PBUH], his family, and Companions.

Dear local authority officials, heads and members of the LLEBs of the Transitional Council, military commanders, senior security officers, and social personalities in the capital, Aden—all present here.

Peace, mercy, and the blessings of Allah be upon you all.

At the beginning, I am pleased in this blessed gathering to extend to you all my sincerest congratulations and best wishes on the holy month of Ramadan, praying to Allah, the Almighty, to make it a month of goodness, mercy, peace, and stability for our homeland and people, and to return it to us with our people achieving the glory, dignity, and prosperity they aspire to.

Distinguished attendees,

Our gathering on this blessed night of the holy month carries a special significance. This great city witnessed a historic day on the 27th of Ramadan in 2015, when the courageous youth of Aden and all the governorates of the South achieved a historic victory against the Houthi militias and declared the liberation of this city from the defilement of the invaders. We do not forget the trains of blessed martyrs who fell on the path of liberation, led by the blessed martyr, late heroic commander Ali Nasser Hadi, and the blessed martyrs of the Arab Coalition from the heroes of the Emirati forces, foremost among them the blessed martyr, late heroic Lieutenant Abdulaziz Al Kaabi, who was martyred on the soil of this land during the storming and liberation of Aden Airport.

Esteemed attendees,

As we recall the glorious day when this city was liberated from the Houthi invasion, it is imperative that we also remember the challenging times Aden endured following its liberation. The city, having been freed, nearly fell into the hands of terrorist groups such as Al-Qaeda and ISIS, who sought to seize control and declare it an Islamic emirate. These terrorist groups carried out a bloody scheme in the assassination of the late governor, the blessed martyr Major General Ja'afar Mohammed Sa'ad, and managed to control Al-Mansoura district and its suburbs, attempted to storm Aden’s port and target the airport, and later turned to targeting the newly formed security services at the time, launching their terrorist attacks on training camps in Al-Sawlaban, Badr, and Ras Abbas, and committed mass murder using car bombs, specifically targeting our youth who had joined the military forces and security services.

Dear attendees,

When we speak of Aden, we are referring to a cosmopolitan city with a distinctive character and a historical, political, and social standing, as well as a rich cultural diversity. It has marked its presence in contemporary history as a crossroads of civilizations, and for decades, it has remained a symbol of coexistence, tolerance, peace, and harmony.

The promotion of the city of Aden is not an option, but a national and moral imperative, requiring all of us to work hand in hand, in a spirit of teamwork, to strengthen institutional work, combat corruption, and uphold principles of integrity and transparency, and we must overcome the challenges posed by the past years of administrative, economic, and service decline. Despite the heavy burden of inheritance, we are confident that, with the sterling will of the people of Aden and the support of the honorable people, we are capable of overcoming the challenges, rebuilding this glorious city, and preparing it as a capital that will host the offices of international organizations and diplomatic missions in the near future.

Dear distinguished attendees,

We are fully aware of the extent of the suffering endured by our people in Aden, and we understand it well. From our position of responsibility, both in the PLC and the government, we are painstakingly working to provide whatever we can within our power to this city and its honorable residents. Indeed, we will continue to work with dedication and sincerity according to a strategic plan that aims to restore the economic and developmental role of the economic and vital institutions in the capital, Aden, foremost among which are the operation of refineries, the development of ports, the advancement of the fisheries sector, and the implementation of sustainable projects in the electricity sector. We have already begun by inaugurating a solar power plant with the support of our brothers in the United Arab Emirates, and a second phase will follow to expand the plant and establish storage systems.

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Over the past years, we have tirelessly been committed to working diligently to build a robust security system and provide it with the required capabilities to carry out its tasks in maintaining the security and stability of this city and the neighboring governorates. The stable security situation we enjoy today is the result of tremendous and arduous efforts exerted in this regard. Now, we have a national and moral responsibility that is to stand by our security services and support their efforts, as there are many who are lying in wait to undermine our security, foremost among them the terrorist Houthi militias, who work day and night to destabilize the security and stability of this city and create chaos through paid elements used to implement their terrorist agendas in the capital, Aden, and the rest of the governorates of the South.

Dear sons and daughters, the brave youth of this resilient city,

Please be assured that we are with you and by your side and will do our best to support and empower you across all fields. Just as we championed the rights of those forcibly laid off and discharged from our people in the civil and military sectors, we will continue to strive to secure your right to public employment, training, and qualification. We have directed the government to approve 17,000 jobs for young graduates, and we will ensure that Aden is a priority in all entitlements.

In conclusion,

We reiterate our call to all to project cohesiveness, solidarity, and teamwork spirit for the sake of Aden and its citizens. Be sure that we will be with you and by your side with all that we can offer.

Again, may your month of Ramadan be blessed, and may peace, mercy, and the blessings of Allah be upon you all.