Speech of President of the Southern Transitional Council in Celebration of the Golden Jubilee of Independence
In the Name of God, Most Gracious and Most Merciful
Thanks to God who victors right. Those whom God victors no one can defeat and those whom god defeats no one can victor
Peace be upon prophet Mohamed
Dear free brothers and sisters:
Today we celebrate fifty years of independence from the British colonization in the 30th of November 1967. In that day, the flag of our southern state was raised for the first time, high in the sky of freedom, thanks to the bloods of martyrs. After fifty years, here we are under the same flag try to restore our country from those who are trying to robe his will and rightful choice in dignity, sovereignty, stability and safe life. Our will for freedom is the horizon of development that will fulfill the expectations of the new generations of southern people under the principles of citizenship, democracy, continuous development and human rights. This is how we wish to start a new half a century without flaws of the past. Here we are trying to establish a new meaning of independence and a new value of our nations in a new reality of our own.
In this occasion, we stand humbly, wishing mercy for our martyrs who established the real meanings of patriotism and sacrifice. Our martyrs whose blood opened the door for independence and are still with us till now in our battels to restore this independence and achieve the objectives of our southern free will.
Our celebration of the fiftieth memory of independence in 30th November inspires us all to be loyal to the path of our past martyrs and you may let me praise the memory of the UAE Martyr’s day, that coincides with our celebrations as the Emirati blood is mixed with our southern blood on this land in our pursuit of freedom and dignity. We praise the role of UAE in the Arab Ally, under commandership of Saudi Arabia, in supporting us in our battel to defeat the coup and terrorism.
My fellow free southern citizens:
Our patriotic pursuit of independence is continuing with steady steps. In the southern transitional council, we realize the importance of establishing our steps systematically in that direction. According to the responsibility we chose to bear, we are exerting continuous efforts in a patriotic open horizon. One of the first fruits of these efforts is the declaration, in this specific day, the establishment of the southern national assembly and local leaderships in the governorates. This is a core step towards an organizational work for establishing our sovereign southern state, according to a federal system that establishes real partnership, equity and social peace. This step is for granting development and construction and these two main pillars can never be achieved without granting democracy, human rights and public freedoms. The council is working on establishing real transparent democracy that grants for every southern to participate in the national decision-making process in addition to the right of having a different opinion according to international principles and standards.
Dear free brothers and sisters of the south:
Our just and fair cause is passing a critical stage that requires more awareness and steadiness in addition to objective judgements according to the core of our cause and current changing situations. Therefore, it is important to send you these significant messages:
First: In the light of the vicious acts of this corrupt government that works on exhausting our people in the south on the economic, security and service aspects, we assert that we stand for and support the choices of our southern people in facing the corruption of this government that is trying to pass a vicious agenda against the south on behalf of the coup forces and their ally Ali Abdullah Saleh. Provocative and arrogant statements, the last of it what was said today in Al-Bereka, are clear evidences that they are trying to transfer battel field from Sanaa, occupied by the coup, to Adan and the south, liberated by our heroes. We will never allow them to manipulate our victories or humiliate the bloods of our martyrs and we will never return to the political manipulation square again.
Second: We confirm our steady and continuous attitude against terrorism and its supporters. We assert that we will continue our operations against ISIS and Al-Qaeda all over the south till we wipe these vicious gangs out of the south. At the same time, we warn against the fragile security conditions in Hadhramaut with repeated assassinations of security forces as this situation demands an advanced step in cooperation with the Arab Ally to clear this area from terrorist elements.
Third: The Southern Transitional Council confirms the principles of the southern cause and announces his sincere will for open talks with international organizations and key countries to introduce his political vision about an inclusive political solution to achieve peace and end war in addition to establishing a real base for the post-war stage to grant the southern rights. This may end any potential scenarios of war. We are not supporters of war, bullying or invasion. Instead, we are messengers of peace, stability, development and harmony.
Fourth: Any political solution that ignores the right of the southern people in restoring his independent decision can never establish peace, neither in Yemen nor in the entire region. The rights of the southern people are not a margin or part of a conflict file among separate powers or even political partners amid a conflict in Yemen. Any solution that ignores the reality produced by this war will fail. Southern people will never accept such thing and will never compromise their will, martyrs and sacrifices in their pursuit of their restoration of their free national decision. They will never accept any political system that only rearranges the shares of Sanaa’s counter partners.
Fifth: The south is a strategic depth for our Arab and Regional brothers. This war proved that the south is the title of victory and our relationship with the Arab Ally was never established on manipulation. It is a real partnership for defeating terrorism and coup forces. The south will remain as a strategic ally and for us, war is not a current tactic. Instead, it is a strategy to regain freedom, dignity, sovereignty and common future.
Sixth: We realize what anti-powers work for in several ways to exhaust our liberation project, that accepts no compromises or blackmail, and to drag us to absurd violence against each other or southern/southern conflict. Such policy failed for twenty years and will fail again as it is faced by our strong patriotic will that is fully aware of our rightful cause. We are loyal to our purpose and fully determined to fulfill our objective through achieving our independence and establishing a free sovereign federal stage.
Seventh: Our real strength is in our deeply-rooted awareness of the significance of southern tolerance. We refuse all claims of allegation of treason or incitement as these claims represent a circle of violence and terrorism that aims to destroy the social structure of the south. The southern transitional council asserts his work on establishing the values of tolerance, coexistence and social security. We are all like a well-established wall, just as prophet Mohamed (peace be upon him) said.
Glory and immortality to our martyrs of the south and the Arab Ally
Quick healing to the injured
Glory, freedom and victory for the south
General Aidarous Kassem Al-Zubaidy
President of the Southern Transitional Council
