Aden -- Hani bin Brik, Vice President of the Southern Transitional Council, has sparked an unprecedented wave of political and media reaction following fiery statements in which he directly criticized the role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in the Yemeni file, arguing that its policies contributed to the collapse of what he described as “legitimacy” and enabled the Houthis and extremist groups, while the Arab South remained resilient.

Bin Brik said that deeply rooted convictions he and many others had held for decades about the nature of the Saudi role had “completely collapsed,” noting that reality had shown according to his description that conflicts are managed on the basis of political calculations rather than religious ones, and that slogans about protecting Sunnis were employed and then abandoned when interests changed.

In the most serious part of his remarks, bin Brik held Riyadh responsible for what he described as the “shedding of Sunni blood in the South,” warning that reconciling with the Houthis and empowering extremist forces under the assumption that they could serve as tools of influence would leave “catastrophic historical consequences” that would not fade with time, stressing that “the laws of injustice do not expire.”

He added that Yemen had “fallen politically and security-wise,” and that its government had lost any real legitimacy, while the South according to him remained cohesive, defended its land, and confronted al-Qaeda, the Muslim Brotherhood, and the Houthis without submission or compromise, citing the events of Dammaj as a pivotal moment that preceded the broader collapse.

By contrast, bin Brik praised the position of the United Arab Emirates, affirming that it remained committed to confronting extremist organizations, rejected the use of religion in political conflicts, and refused according to his words to be a partner in violating lives or trading in religious slogans.

Bin Brik concluded his remarks by emphasizing that “speaking the truth is not something to be intimidated,” asserting that he would not remain silent regardless of pressure, and that what is happening today will be read tomorrow in history books. The South, he said, has “chosen the path of confrontation and clarity, not the path of hypocrisy and political bargaining.”

Bin Brik’s statements have opened wide-ranging questions about the future of alliances, the fate of legitimacy, and the limits of political silence in one of the region’s most complex files.