Al-Awlaki says they seek independence

Salem Thabet al-Awlaki, spokesman for the Southern Transitional Council, said that they are not seeking separation, because their cause is an issue of independence and not separation, and therefore they are not associated with any form of "quotas" in power and positions.

He added that they have their national project with their political, social, cultural and future goals for which they fought for decades, adding that the people of the South and offered the most expensive sacrifices not to replace people with people but to achieve independence and to turn the lives of the future generations.

He added, “The war is not yet over, as the arms of the Yemeni regime continue to exploit the looseness of the situation and its exceptional nature, to look for the easy goal to frustrate the goals of southern people and to promote false ideas linking between South Yemen and terrorism.”

Regarding the arrest of leaders and members of the Reform Party in Aden, he stressed that this is a security measure carried out by the Department of Security of Aden upon information about the relationship of certain elements of the Reform Party of terrorist groups.

He added that Reform Party is required to provide proof of innocence of its elements, saying that the party is involved in suspicious relation with extremist groups.

He denied what was published over Emirati role on the political side, while he stressed that they provide support for the residents of the southern area. He expressed his appreciation to the role performed by both UAE and Saudi Arabia to support the people on humanitarian level.