Who is Aidarous al-Zubaidi, Yemen’s southern separatist leader?

Aidarous al-Zubaidi is the leader of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist movement aiming to create an independent state in southern Yemen. Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) recently accused him of high treason and removed him from his position within the governing body. Zubaidi has a long military history and has consistently opposed Yemeni unification, leading armed groups before his rise to political prominence. He formally established the STC in 2017, which has become a central but divisive force within the anti-Houthi coalition.