From the South to the World: This is our land, our state, and this is our Ally. Choose your position.

Analytics - 9 days ago

South Eye | Analysis - Exclusive

Over the past decade, Southern people has consistently demonstrated a commitment to dialogue, regional stability, and international norms. This commitment has been reflected in repeated calls for peaceful solutions, participation in political processes, and openness to international cooperation on security, development, and humanitarian issues. However, despite clear legal and historical foundations for the Southern cause, the international response has remained cautious, often ambiguous, and sometimes outright dismissive.

From a strictly legal perspective, the Southern cause aligns with fundamental principles enshrined in international law:

The UN Charter guarantees the right of peoples to self-determination.

The Montevideo Convention outlines four criteria for statehood, all of which are arguably met by Southern institutions today.

The South had a recognized sovereign state (PDRY) prior to the 1990 unity, which was entered into voluntarily but collapsed through war and coercion in 1994.

Yet, the international community has largely defaulted to the framework of Yemeni unity—a political arrangement, not a moral or legal absolute—and invoked UN Security Council Resolution 2216, even though the primary violators of that resolution (namely the Houthis) have openly defied its core terms for years.

The Consequences of Diplomatic Ambiguity

Such a one-sided international posture has real consequences. It:

Undermines trust in the fairness of the global system.

Marginalizes peaceful political actors like the Southern leadership, who seek change through institutional means.

> Can continued reliance on ambiguous diplomatic channels yield tangible results, or is it time to explore alternative strategic directions that prioritize partnerships based on mutual interest and realistic engagement, rather than abstract promises of future recognition?

The emerging thinking is not one of rupture or rejection, but of strategic recalibration. Southern people, leaders and institutions increasingly recognize the need to:

Solidify internal governance: security, rule of law, public services.

Pursue diversified partnerships: with regional, Eastern, and Global South powers who respect pragmatic cooperation over political conditionality.

Continue international engagement, but with clearer expectations and timelines.

This is not about abandoning the global system—it is about asserting agency within it.

The South seeks respect, fairness, and a pathway grounded in international law, not political convenience.
It is not a matter of demanding recognition overnight, but of ensuring that continued ambiguity does not become an excuse for continued injustice.

If the international community wishes to remain relevant and credible in the eyes of Southern people, it must adapt to the evolving reality, not cling to failed assumptions of unity.

The Southern People The Cause Struggle Independence PDRY