Abdulrahman al-Mahrami announces development of Southern Armed Forces

Abdulrahman al-Mahrami, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, has announced a commitment to building and developing the Southern Armed Forces. Speaking on the anniversary of the Southern Army's founding, al-Mahrami stated that establishing a professional military force with unified leadership, advanced training, and modern weaponry remains a primary national responsibility to protect land and stability.

These statements, made while al-Mahrami is in Riyadh, have drawn criticism from Ali al-Omrani, the former Aden government ambassador to Jordan. Al-Omrani questioned the consistency of Saudi Arabia’s official support for Yemeni unity given that al-Mahrami is hosting discussions regarding Southern military formations in the Saudi capital. Al-Omrani argued that such discourse promotes secessionism and contradicts the constitutional obligations of the Presidential Leadership Council to maintain the integrity and sovereignty of Yemen.