Yemeni separatists announced today, Wednesday, the abandonment of self-administration in the south and pledged to implement a power-sharing agreement with the internationally recognized government, in a move that could strengthen the position of the authority in its war against Houthi militants.

The following is a reminder of the most prominent conflict stations in southern Yemen since 1967:

An independent state
In 1967, southern Yemen became independent after an armed revolution that began in 1963 against the British who controlled Aden.

The People's Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) was founded by the only Marxist regime in the Arab world in 1970.

Yemeni unity
An armed conflict took place between the Yemenis - North and South - in 1972, which ended with their unity in 1990, and Ali Abdullah became President of Yemen as a whole after he was President of Northern Yemen only.

Rebel movement
After four years of unity, a separatist rebel movement turned into a civil war in southern Yemen, but southerners failed to secede from the north.

Aden as a temporary capital
The southern city of Aden became the interim capital of the Yemeni government after the Houthi rebels took control of the capital, Sanaa, in September 2014. A Saudi-led military alliance was launched to support the legitimate government.

Southern Transitional Council
In late April 2017, Yemeni President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi sacked the governor of Aden Aidroos al-Zubaidi and Minister of State Hani bin Brik.

The decisions sparked angry reactions in the south, as thousands of protesters demonstrated in Aden against the Hadi government. On May 11, al-Zubaidi announced the formation of the Southern Transitional Council, under his chairmanship, with the aim of "managing the southern provinces."

Surrounding the presidential residence, and
in mid-January 2018, the Transitional Council gave President Hadi a week to make "government changes" and fire Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher, accusing him of "corruption".

With the deadline ending, separatists took control of the government headquarters in Aden after clashes with government forces, and on the thirtieth of the same month, the separatist forces took control of most of Aden and surrounded the presidential palace and lifted their siege on him only after mediation.

The next day, these forces deployed in Aden after three days of fighting that resulted in dozens of dead and wounded.

Coup
on August 7, 2019, clashes erupted between separatists belonging to the UAE-backed "security belt" and forces loyal to the government. On the tenth of the same month, the separatists cordoned off the presidential palace in Aden and took control of three barracks after four days of clashes.

The government said that what was happening was a "coup", and on August 20, separatist fighters took control of the city of Aden and occupied official institutions and camps, following clashes with government forces, killing and wounding about 300 people.

On August 24, separatists withdrew from the city of Ataq, the capital of Shabwa Governorate, after an attack by government forces. On the 28th of the same month, the leaders of the security services confirmed the control of the forces loyal to the government over the governorate of Abyan, then the Yemeni Minister of Information Muammar al-Iryani announced that the government forces would enter Aden, but the next day the separatists regained control of Aden.

Riyadh Agreement
On September 5, Riyadh condemned for the first time the conflict in southern Yemen, speaking of a "threat to the security" of the kingdom. Three days later, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi announced that they were working to calm down.

On October 7, identical sources indicated that the government and separatists were discussing power-sharing, after indirect talks in Jeddah, western Saudi Arabia.

After a week of reports of a possible sharing of power, a separatist official said that the UAE had handed over Saudi forces key sites in the city of Aden and Lahj governorate.

On October 25, the government and separatists reached an agreement sponsored by Riyadh on power sharing, to be signed "at the latest" on the 29th of the month, according to a government source based in Riyadh.

The agreement stipulated that the Southern Transitional Council assume a number of ministries in the Yemeni government, and that the government return to the temporary capital, Aden.

Self-administration
did not fully implement the agreement and the government was prevented from returning all of its members to Aden. On April 26, 2020, the Yemeni separatists declared "self-administration" in the south, while the Yemeni government held the separatists "dangerous and catastrophic consequences" for this declaration.

The transitional council accused the Yemeni government of "persistence and intransigence in carrying out its duties," in addition to "delaying and evading them from carrying out the related Riyadh agreements."

Abandonment of self-administration
The Southern Transitional Council announced on July 29, 2020 the abandonment of self-management in the south "so that the coalition (led by Saudi Arabia) will be able to implement the Riyadh agreement."

Saudi Arabia announced that it had provided the two parties with "a mechanism to accelerate the implementation of the Riyadh agreement through executive points."

These points include the continuation of the ceasefire between the legitimate government and the Southern Transitional Council, and the transitional announcement to give up self-administration, in addition to assigning the Yemeni Prime Minister to take over the formation of a government of political efficiencies within 30 days that includes representatives of the Transitional Council.