First Cabinet Meeting Led by Yemen PM in Aden Signals Political Progress
For the first time in years, Yemen’s internationally recognized government has convened a Cabinet meeting in the southern city of Aden—a modest but meaningful step toward normalizing governance in a country fragmented by a decade of civil war.
Prime Minister Shaya Al-Zindani chaired Thursday’s session after arriving in Aden the previous day. The city, controlled by forces loyal to the government, serves as the administrative capital while Sanaa in the north remains under Houthi militia control since their 2014 seizure of the city sparked the conflict.
A New Government Takes Shape
The Cabinet meeting follows a significant political development earlier this month. Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council issued a decree forming a new government after the separatist Southern Transitional Council announced it would dissolve following talks in Saudi Arabia. The agreement represents a rare moment of unity among anti-Houthi factions.
Al-Zindani, who also serves as foreign minister, has assembled a 35-member Cabinet with strong representation from Yemen’s south and east. Three women hold positions in the new government—a notable inclusion in a region where female political participation remains limited.
From Riyadh to Aden
The government had been based in Saudi Arabia since the conflict forced its leadership into exile. Al-Zindani has now fulfilled his pledge to return the Cabinet to Yemeni soil, though the practical challenges of governing from Aden while the capital remains under hostile control are considerable.
During the meeting, Al-Zindani outlined an ambitious agenda focused on “reconstruction, development and modernization,” according to Al-Arabiya. He also expressed gratitude for Saudi support, acknowledging the Kingdom’s role in hosting the government and facilitating recent political agreements.
What the Meeting Means
A single Cabinet meeting does not resolve Yemen’s deep political divisions or end its humanitarian crisis. The Houthis remain firmly in control of Sanaa and large portions of the north. The economy is shattered. Millions depend on aid.
But the fact that a prime minister could chair a Cabinet meeting in Aden—that ministers could gather on Yemeni soil, in a city under government control, to discuss reconstruction and development—represents progress. After a decade of war, any step toward normal governance matters.
The road ahead remains long and uncertain. For now, Yemen’s government is back in Yemen. That is something.
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