UN General Assembly
1962

44. Aden, as previously indicated, is an important link in the chain of British bases in the Middle East, Because of its strategic position, Aden has been made the headquarters of the unified Middle East command, where troops, ships, aircraft, heavy equipment, supplies and facilities for maintenance and repair are kept for military operations elsewhere in the region. And it is solely for strategic reasons that the Aden Colony has been joined to the so-called South Arabian Federation by an Agreement between the British and a minority of feudal sheiks and a few unrepresentative people of Aden. The British control over the base will continue, as nothing in the Treaty, it is stated, will affect British sovereignty over Aden. 45. The agreement between Britain and the so-called South Arabian Federation forces the people of Aden against their will to join the Federation and, secondly, consolidates British control over the southern Arabian coastal territories, and separates permanently those territories from Yemen of which they are an integral part.