Aidarus al-Zoubaidi
{{Use dmy dates|date=June 2023}}
{{Short description|Yemeni politician (born 1967)}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| native_name = {{Nobold|{{lang|ar|عَيْدَرُوْس الزُّبَيْدي}}}}
| image = عيدروس الزبيدي.jpg
| caption =
| office = Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council
| term_start = 7 April 2022{{cite news |last1=Ghobari |first1=Mohamed |title=Yemen president sacks deputy, delegates presidential powers to council |url=https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/yemen-president-relieves-deputy-his-post-2022-04-07/ |access-date=7 April 2022 |work=Reuters |location=Aden |date=7 April 2022}}
| predecessor = Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar (as Vice President)
| 1blankname = Chairman
| 1namedata = Rashad al-Alimi
| office1 = President of the Southern Transitional Council
| term_start1 = 11 May 2017
| term_end1 =
| preceded1 = Office created
| office2 = Governor of Aden Governorate
| term_start2 = 7 December 2015
| term_end2 = 27 April 2017
| preceded2 = Jaafar Mohammed Saad
| succeeded2 = Abdul Aziz al-Muflehi
| allegiance = {{flag|Yemen}}
(2015–2017, 2022–present){{Cite web|url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/8/23/yemeni-president-orders-separatists-to-stop-military-operation|title=Yemeni president orders separatists to stop military operations|website=Al Jazeera}}
{{flagicon|South Yemen}} Southern Movement (2017–present)
| branch = Popular Resistance Militia{{Cite news|title=Yemeni army commander survives car bombing in Aden |date=31 December 2015 |newspaper=The National |url=https://www.thenational.ae/world/yemeni-army-commander-survives-car-bombing-in-aden-1.107965 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171113113410/https://www.thenational.ae/world/yemeni-army-commander-survives-car-bombing-in-aden-1.107965 |archive-date=13 November 2017 |url-status=live }}
| rank = 15px Major general
| battles = Yemeni Civil War (2015-present)
| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1967}}
| birth_place = Ad Dhale'e District, Dhale, South Yemen
}}
Major General Aidarus Qassem Abdulaziz Al-Zubaidi (born 1967; {{langx|ar|عَيْدَرُوْس قاسم عبد العزيز الزُّبَيْدي}}) is the Vice President within the Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC){{Cite web |last=newsletters |date=2022-04-07 |title=صدور اعلان رئاسي بنقل السلطة وتشكيل مجلس القيادة الرئاسي |url=https://presidenthadi-gov-ye.info/ar/archives/54270 |access-date=2022-08-04 |website=President Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi |language=ar}} and president of the Southern Transitional Council and the de facto leader of the Southern Movement in Yemen. He previously served as the governor of Aden Governorate from December 2015 to April 2017.
Biography
Al-Zoubaidi is a former military commander from Dhale Governorate who remained loyal to President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi during the Yemeni Civil War. He was appointed as Governor of Aden in early December 2015, after the previous governor, Major General Jaafar Mohammed Saad, was assassinated in a car bombing.[http://www.emirates247.com/news/region/hadi-appoints-aidarus-al-zubaidi-governor-of-aden-2015-12-08-1.613188 Hadi appoints Aidarus Al Zubaidi governor of Aden]. Emirates 24/7. Published 8 December 2016. Accessed 30 October 2016. In early January 2016, he survived an assassination attempt by ISIL when a bomb exploded near his convoy, and at least one bodyguard was killed.[https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35236572 Yemen crisis: Aden governor survives 'IS bomb attack']. BBC News. Published 5 January 2016. Retrieved 30 October 2016. He was fired on 27 April 2017 by President Hadi.{{cite web|url=http://english.aawsat.com/abdul-hadi-habtoor/news-middle-east/four-ministers-appointed-one-dismissed-presidential-order-yemen|title=Four Ministers Appointed, One Dismissed by Presidential Order in Yemen|publisher=Asharq al-Awsat|date=28 April 2017|access-date=2017-05-02|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170428095132/http://english.aawsat.com/abdul-hadi-habtoor/news-middle-east/four-ministers-appointed-one-dismissed-presidential-order-yemen|archive-date=2017-04-28|url-status=dead}} On May 3, major rallies were held in Aden to protest the decision of Hadi.
One week later, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) was formed; some of the members were the governors of Dhale Governorate, Shabwah Governorate, Hadramaut Governorate, Lahij Governorate, Socotra, and Al Mahrah Governorate.{{cn|date=June 2023}} Al-Zoubaidi became a member of the Southern Movement and President of the Southern Transitional Council.{{cite web|url=https://www.usnews.com/news/world/articles/2017-05-04/thousands-protest-at-yemen-presidents-sacking-of-southern-leaders|title=Thousands Protest at Yemen President's Sacking of Southern Leaders|publisher=U.S. News|date=4 May 2017}}
On 29 January 2018, in the Battle of Aden, al-Zoubaidi announced a state of emergency in Aden and that "the STC has begun the process of overthrowing Hadi’s rule over the South".{{Cite news|last=Jonkers |first=Brecht |date= 29 January 2018 |title=South Yemen separatists send reinforcements to Aden |publisher=AMN (Al Masdar News) |url=https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/south-yemen-separatists-send-reinforcements-aden/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180129221333/https://www.almasdarnews.com/article/south-yemen-separatists-send-reinforcements-aden/ |archive-date=29 January 2018 |url-status=dead}} In April 2020, the STC announced self-rule in southern Yemen.{{Cite news|title=Separatist group announces self-rule in southern Yemen |date=26 April 2020 |newspaper=Al Jazeera |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/separatists-announce-rule-southern-yemen-200426020425693.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200426074403/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2020/04/separatists-announce-rule-southern-yemen-200426020425693.html |archive-date=26 April 2020 |url-status=live }}