Hans Grundberg

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The Southern Cause and the UN Envoy’s Vision for Peace in Yemen

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South Eye | Analysis - Exclusive

In his latest statements, the United Nations Special Envoy to Yemen, Hans Grundberg, reaffirmed that no ceasefire can be sustainable without international support and guarantees. He further urged Yemeni parties to embrace dialogue over division and called upon the international and regional communities not to turn their gaze away from Yemen. While his message carries a tone of moral urgency and commitment to peace, it also raises important questions especially regarding the future of South Yemen and its long-standing demand for self-determination.

Grundberg’s emphasis on inclusivity and the importance of addressing the views of “all parties” is a welcome departure from earlier frameworks that confined the peace process to the binary of the internationally recognized government and the Houthis. This rhetorical shift provides an opening for Southern stakeholders to position themselves not as subordinates to broader Yemeni factions, but as an essential entity with a legitimate historical and political identity.

However, the envoy’s language remains carefully neutral on the core issue that defines the Southern cause, the right to restore the independent state. There is no explicit acknowledgment of South Yemen’s former sovereignty, nor any indication that self-determination is a legitimate outcome within the envisioned peace process. Instead, the Southern issue is implicitly treated as one of many grievances to be negotiated within a unified framework for the country’s future.

This ambiguity carries significant risks. If the Southern cause is diluted into a generalized national dialogue without safeguards or recognition of its distinct trajectory, the result will be a settlement that perpetuates the very marginalization and centralization that triggered the Southern movement in the first place. References to “a comprehensive solution”  while potentially constructive, remain dangerously vague without a mechanism to guarantee that the will of the Southern people will be respected.

The UN envoy’s call for international guarantees should not go unnoticed. It presents an opportunity to engage with the international community and assert the need for clearly defined mechanisms that ensure any future agreement reflects the aspirations of Southern people. These guarantees could take the form of international oversight, referenda, or structured negotiations that recognize the South as a distinct political entity, not merely a political party.

Ultimately, any durable peace in Yemen cannot be built on the denial of historical realities or the silencing of legitimate political demands. The South has endured decades of war, marginalization, and broken promises. Its people have made their voices clear through mass mobilizations, structured governance, and political expression. To ignore this in the name of expediency would be to repeat the failures of past peace efforts.

Therefore, while the South welcomes international efforts to end the war and build peace, it must also be clear: the Southern cause is not a bargaining chip. It is the collective will of a people determined to reclaim their future. If the international community truly seeks a lasting and inclusive solution for Yemen, it must begin by recognizing that the future of the South is not to be negotiated behind closed doors but to be determined by its people.