National Liberation Front (Yemen)

National Liberation Front
Flag of the National Liberation Front
Active	1963 – 1978
Country	Federation of South Arabia (until 1967)  South Yemen (from 1967)
Allegiance	South Yemen
Type	Guerrilla
Role	Guerrilla warfare
Garrison/HQ	Mountains and deserts of Yemen
Equipment	Small arms and dynamite
Engagements	Aden Emergency
Commanders
Notable commanders	Qahtan Muhammad al-Shaabi Jarallah Omar
Insignia
Identification symbol	Initials "NLF"

The National Liberation Front (Arab: الجبهة القوميّة) or NLF was a Marxist paramilitary organization operating in the Federation of South Arabia, (now southern Yemen) during the Aden Emergency. During the North Yemen Civil War, fighting spilled over into South Yemen as the British attempted to establish an autonomous colony known as the Federation of South Arabia. Following the exit of the British armed forces, the NLF seized power from its rival, the Arab nationalist Front for the Liberation of Occupied South Yemen (FLOSY). In the aftermath of the Emergency, the NLF reorganized itself into the Yemeni Socialist Party and established a single-party Marxist-Leninist regime, known as the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen.

In the late 50s Egyptian president Gamal Abdel Nasser's Pan-Arabism had spread to the region and threatened Britain and the traditional Emirs of the region's control. In response the British were able to convince the feuding Emirs to merge into the Federation of South Arabia. In the federation the Aden Trade Union Congress had a large influence in the new assembly and to prevent it seizing control of the Federation in 1962 the Colony of Aden joined the Federation so that Aden's pro-British assembly members could counter the ATUC's influence. The day after Aden joined the Federation Muhammad al-Badr of the Yemenese monarchy was overthrown and civil war ensued between forces backed by Nassar like the National Liberation Front (NLF) and monarchist forces backed by the Saudis and British. This conflict spread throughout the region becoming what the British would term as the Aden Emergency which officially began when a state of emergency was declared in the State of Aden.