Northern leaders say their quarrel is not with the south, nor even with the Socialist Party as a whole, but with the three or four people who control it. There is little doubt that large parts of the south have genuine grievances. Ordinary people in Aden, Socialists and non-Socialists alike, say union has given them nothing and cost them dear. They complain that northern practices are creeping south. With land privatisation, that is changing.
Businessmen complain that institutionalised corruption is spreading south.
Economically, separation is tempting for the south. Prospects for Aden's free port are looking brighter and there is money around for investment. For the north, separation would bring no cheer. President Salih has staked his reputation on restoring Yemen to a golden age of unity which never, historically, existed. In practice the Socialists, when suitably restrained, were a useful counterweight to troublesome tribal and religious elements in the north.