In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

A vow upon me, O my homeland, that you shall no longer remain in chains.

A vow and a solemn covenant upon us,upon the neck of every Southerner.

A vow to the blood of the martyr,the detainee, and the wounded.

Either we restore our dignity,or we die in the public squares.

We salute you with the salute of heroes, and we convey to you, O free and noble ones, the greetings of His Excellency President Leader-Symbol Aidarous bin Qassem Al-Zubaidi, President of the Southern Transitional Council, Supreme Commander of the Southern Armed Forces.

From here, in this very square... the revolution of the peaceful Southern Movement was launched. From here, our Southern people declared the epic of reconciliation and tolerance. And here, the millions gathered in a continuous, peaceful revolution that embodied the will of the Southern people, despite the oppression, killing, and detention practiced by

the occupation

And here, the millions gathered on the fourth of May, 2017, to declare the historic Aden Declaration, whereby President Leader Aidarous bin Qassem Al-Zubaidi was mandated to lead the stage and express the popular Southern will rejecting the occupation and demanding the restoration of the Southern state, free and independent over all its national soil. And here is the ship's captain, proceeding steadfastly to bring us to the final safe harbor.

O men of great stances, owners of the unbreakable word...

I stand before you today,not only to greet you, but to salute the sons of Al-Sabayha who came from a land that has never known submission, that bows only to Allah, and which has offered its finest men in defense of the South, its identity, and its dignity.

O Heroes...

The Arab South today is not in a stage of demands...but in a stage of historic decisiveness.

The South has triumphed by the will of its people and the arms of its heroes, and that victory was crowned by the liberation of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra from the terrorist Brotherhood gangs of the so-called "First Military Region," which was never anything but a tool of occupation, a smuggling bridge, and a poisoned dagger in the side of our beloved South, supplying the Houthis with weapons and fueling war, ruin, and corruption on the land.

Today, the project has fallen and the hidden has been exposed...

And the truth has become as clear as the sun at midday:

The Arab South is free...and will never go backwards... and in its dictionary, there is no word for retreat.

O Free people, heads held high...

When the masses took to all squares and public spaces,they did not go out just to express themselves, but to impose their free will, to tell the whole world:

The era of trusteeship is over,the era of hegemony and tampering is over, and the time for an independent Southern

We have seen the frenzied media campaigns, laden with malice, hatred, and lies, to which the people of the South, its armed forces, and its leadership have been subjected. This moral collapse they have shown is nothing but a frank admission of their abject defeat. For whoever loses the land, loses the truth, and has nothing left but noise.

O free sons of the South...

Let me address the sons of Al-Sabayha,who have been and still are the unceasing reinforcement when times get tough and the mettle of men is proven... O you whom the South has known in the hours of hardship, before the hours of victory...

Your presence today in the Square of Freedom and Dignity...is a renewal of the covenant, a confirmation of the stance, and a message to our political leadership represented by His Excellency President Leader Aidarous bin Qassem Al-Zubaidi that leaves no room for interpretation:

Yes to declaring the State of the Arab South.

Yes to the sovereignty of the Southern people over all their national soil,from Al-Mahra in the east to Bab al-Mandab in the west.

Yes to the Southern Transitional Council as the political carrier of our just cause.

Let us all stand behind the Southern Transitional Council... the bearer and protector of the Southern liberation project. It is the only lifeboat to get out of the treacherous seas and mighty waves, to safely carry us to the harbor of freedom and salvation. The Transitional Council is a great national achievement that has been realized and must be preserved with our very eyes, adhering to its legitimacy, and working under its leadership with a team spirit under the slogan "The South for and by all its sons."

We say it from here, in a loud voice heard by the near and far:

The declaration of the state is no longer a deferred option,but a right earned by blood, cemented by sacrifices, and protected by the will of the Southern people.

We will no longer allow the reproduction of occupation.

We will no longer allow the recycling of its tools.

And we will not accept our land being managed from outside our will.

Today we stand united... people and leadership,

To tell the world:The State of the Arab South will only be an active and responsible partner in supporting efforts for security and stability, protecting shared regional and international interests. A state that promotes an environment of peace and development... and values of love and peace... and will only be a trusted partner in enhancing international efforts to counter extremism, combat terrorism... and protect international maritime navigation routes in the Arabian Sea and the Red Sea...

This is the Arab South... and this is its word... and this is its decision.

Glory to the martyrs who paved for us the path to freedom.

Loyalty to the wounded and the prisoners.

And victory is the ally of a people who know no defeat.

Long live the Arab South, free and independent...

Peace,mercy, and blessings of Allah be upon you.

Dr. Mohammed Saeed Al-Za'ouri

Minister of Social Affairs and Labor

Al-Aroudh Square,December 14, 2025