Sanaa [Yemen], January 16 (ANI): Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) on Thursday appointed its Foreign Minister Shaya Mohsen al-Zindani as the country’s new prime minister, following the approval of the resignation of Salem Bin Buraik, Xinhua reported, citing the state-run Saba News Agency.
According to Xinhua, citing Saba, at a meeting in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, the PLC tasked al-Zindani with forming a new government in accordance with Yemen’s constitution and relevant laws. Bin Buraik was appointed as advisor to PLC President Rashad al-Alimi on financial and economic affairs.
Al-Alimi also issued a decree appointing Al-Zandani as the country’s new Prime Minister and tasking him with forming a new cabinet.
According to the decree, Al-Alimi formalised the appointment in line with Yemen’s Constitution, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) Initiative, and the 2022 Declaration of Transfer of Power.
Under the decree, the current government will remain in a caretaker capacity, excluding appointments and dismissals, until the new cabinet is formed.
The decree also stipulates that it comes into force from the date of issuance and will be published in Yemen’s Official Gazette.
The appointments come amid the PLC’s efforts to strengthen state institutions and advance political reforms, as Yemen continues to face prolonged economic and humanitarian challenges stemming from years of conflict.
Earlier on Thursday, the PLC also replaced two members affiliated with the pro-secession Southern Transitional Council (STC), appointing former Defence Minister Mahmoud al-Subaihi and Hadramout Governor Salem al-Khanbashi, according to Xinhua, citing Saba.
The move follows escalating tensions in southern Yemen in December 2025, when STC forces seized parts of Hadramout and Al-Mahrah, prompting Saudi airstrikes that forced the group to withdraw.
The STC’s remaining territory, including its seat in Yemen’s Aden, was lost by early January. A dispute over the group’s future arose after an STC delegation in Riyadh announced its intention to dissolve.
However, the STC’s spokesperson, Anwar Al-Tamimi and senior officials rejected the announcement as “null and void”, insisting the STC remains legitimate and operational, Xinhua reported.
Yemen has been engulfed in conflict since 2014, when Iran-aligned Houthis seized the capital, Sanaa. A Saudi-led coalition intervened in 2015 in support of the government, but the ongoing war has created one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises. (ANI)