Soon … The Sovereign South Will Be Free

Written by: Professor Abd Al-Nasser Al-Wali
Member of the Southern Transitional Council’s Presidency
[su_dropcap]C[/su_dropcap]hairman of Aden Local Leadership
Good morning Aden … We are all Well
After 25 years of occupation, systematic destruction and two barbaric wars, we are all still well. But, don’t forget that all the state’s organizations were robbed and transferred to Sanaa, with all authority and structure, for fear of the day the south will rise.
Systematically, the Southern armed forces were dismantled and forcefully dismissed. But now, we have a new army, even similar in number, that only needs time to regain professionality. This is ok as we have much time, enough determination and sufficient support from our allied friends.
Tens of occupation military brigades with thousands of officers and soldiers armed with all types of weapons are spreading all over our lands (The People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen or, as it was called by some, Federal State of South Arab) are now without effect. It is only a matter of time to reach oil fields.
They stopped our higher education and destroyed university facilities. But we managed to reconstruct them again. Of course, not as we desire but at least our academics are still working there.
They destroyed our public and technical schools. But we reconstructed our educational system all over the south, with help of UAE. Of course, it is not as we desire but we only need time to restore everything better than it was. We trust our teachers’ experience and we know they can.
They shut down all health care facilities, except for two governmental hospitals, in 2015. But we reopened them again. All of them, of course without reaching full capacity and readiness. But our health care cadres can reach for what we desire.
They destroyed water pipelines and tanks. Aden returned to drink well water again. We had to deal with sewer swamps. Till we reconstructed our water and sewer networks. And again, with limited capacity due to war conditions.
They destroyed electric power stations and Aden lived in blackout for months. But, with great difficulty, we lighted Aden again.
We returned to use wood for cooking and animals for transports when all fuel stations were shut down and Aden Refinery was bombarded. But now, fuel stations are working and provide everyone with fuel, with even greater difficulty.
Aden airport was destroyed. Plans were burnet. Our air fields were under siege. But we opened the airport again and we can travel anywhere whenever we want.
Aden seaport was shut down with the free zone port. Ships stopped coming to Aden. Trade halted and tradesmen bankrupted. Markets collapsed. But the port was reopened and our trade was restored. We recovered our losses, thank God.
Hundreds were killed in explosions. Fear and oppression spread. Chaos and insecurity prevailed. But we restored security and stability with our iron will.
Beaches, hotels and touristic facilities were closed. Aden, the cheerful city became sad as graves. But we reopened all this. The shiny sun of Aden rose again, as clear as our soles. We created joy and cheerfulness again.
Our destroyed roads and houses are now being reconstructed with full determination.
Although we sacrificed many martyrs and although we still hear the cries of widows and orphans, we are working around the clock without even forgetting them and what they sacrificed their lives for. But our life will never stop. They died so that we can live and we will live in dignity as they wanted us to do.
For our south, we created freedom, dignity and life.
But this drove them even more mad at the south. Their greed in our fortunes increased, driving them to declare war after war. They tried to cripple us with chaos and lack of security just to satisfy their historical envy towards us. This is our homeland and we love it. We will protect it with whatever it takes. We will bear anything, even friendly fire. But we will never surrender it again.
You don’t see what we did because you don’t want us to do anything. Walk away and leave us create our future that you will never be part of. It is only a matter of time and we will never forsake our homelands.
Now, we have our own flag, our own army and our own lands. We have a state, with or even without international recognition.