Stability in our region cannot be built on fragmentation, exceptions, or external guardianship. It must be built on dignity, history, and the will of the people. This is why the issue of South Yemen matters deeply not only to Yemenis but to all of us who care about Arab sovereignty and regional balance.
For many in the Arab world, South Yemen is not an abstract political slogan. It is a land with a clear historical identity. Before 1990, the South existed as a recognised political entity with defined borders and institutions. Aden, Hadhramaut, Al-Mahrah, and other southern regions were part of one political and social framework. This history cannot be erased or selectively reinterpreted to serve present-day agendas.
Today, we hear arguments suggesting that some southern regions should be treated as “special cases” or managed outside the southern project. As Arabs, we have seen where this logic leads. The language of exceptions often becomes a gateway to fragmentation and prolonged external influence. It weakens the local authority and delays genuine solutions.
We must be honest with ourselves: when authority is divided, others step in. Fragmentation invites guardianship. It creates space for proxy influence and undermines sovereignty. A unified South Yemen, by contrast, strengthens local decision-making and restores a sense of collective responsibility.
This issue also concerns regional stability. The southern coast of Yemen overlooks the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandeb Strait one of the most important maritime corridors in the world. Stability in these waters is essential for Arab trade, energy security, and economic growth. Fragmented control over such strategic areas does not protect the region; it exposes it.
Most importantly, the demand to restore the South is not the voice of a small elite. It is a popular demand expressed through years of protests, sacrifices, and social mobilisation. We should respect this collective will, not dismiss it or attempt to manage it from outside.
For us, unity is not about exclusion or escalation. It is about restoring dignity, correcting historical imbalance, and building a stable future rooted in legitimacy. One South Yemen means clarity instead of confusion, sovereignty instead of dependency, and partnership instead of guardianship.
As Arabs, we know that imposed solutions rarely last. What endures is what grows from the people themselves. The South is one—historically, geographically, and politically—and respecting this reality is the most credible path toward lasting stability for Yemen and the wider Arab region.