The Southern Transitional Council is working to gain international acceptance for independence
www.thetimes.com
The declaration from the Southern Transitional Council (STC) came at a meeting with members of the United Nations security council on Tuesday, sources said. “The STC made clear that the 1990 unity was over,” said one, referring to the year that southern and northern Yemen became one state.
It has sent delegates to meet Israeli officials, arguing they have a common cause against the Houthis, the group backed by Iran that controls large parts of Yemen and has repeatedly attacked Israel over the past two years.
The STC hopes to garner the favour of President Trump, who wants to extend the Abraham Accords between Israel and Arab countries, by promising to recognise Israel once southern Yemen is independent, two sources said. Trump oversaw the accords between Israel and the UAE, Sudan, Morocco and Bahrain during his first term in office and is keen for more countries to sign.
The STC’s takeover of Aden, the seat of Yemen’s internationally recognised government, of which the separatist group is a member, has plunged the country’s future into uncertainty after years of war that divided Yemen between Houthi rebels in the north and a loose coalition of factions in the south.
Adam Baron, a Yemen expert and a Future Security Program fellow with the New America think tank, said: “This is probably the most important turning point in almost a decade. This dramatically upsets the longstanding status quo in a way that the key actors aren’t prepared to deal with.”
The group has also seized the oil-rich eastern province of Hadramout and Mahra, which lies on the border with Oman. The STC’s movements have fuelled tensions between Saudi Arabia, which supports the government led by Rashad al-Alimi, and the UAE, which has invested in shoring up the STC.
Years of war divided Yemen between Houthi rebels, whose leaders are depicted on posters, in the north and a loose coalition of factions in the south
YAHYA ARHAB/EPA
The two countries had led a military intervention against the Houthis after the rebels seized the capital Sanaa in 2015. But in 2019, Saudi Arabia was angered when the UAE unilaterally withdrew its forces. The UAE has been wary of a Saudi and UN-sponsored peace plan that would effectively leave the Houthis in control of northern Yemen.
The STC claimed that its forces came under fire from Saudi jets as they consolidated control of Hadramout this week. “We can confirm Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes against the Southern Armed Forces after they had reached the 23 brigade in Al Abr,” an STC official said. Saudi Arabia did not confirm the strike.
“What happened is a sign of tensions between the UAE and Saudi Arabia,” said Ahmed Nagi, senior Yemen analyst for the International Crisis Group, a think tank.
The UAE has denied tensions with Saudi Arabia or that it was backing the secession of the south, saying it remained committed to the peace plan.
“We remain committed to all international peace efforts that lead to a resumption of the political process, ultimately serving the aspirations of the Yemeni people for security, stability and prosperity,” an Emirati official said. “The governance and territorial integrity of Yemen is an issue that must be determined by the Yemeni parties themselves.”
STC critics have argued that a divided Yemen would boost the Houthis, who have become Iran’s most powerful allied militia in the region. The STC, however, has said it plans to move against the Houthis but has privately acknowledged it would need air support from the United States or other countries if an operation was to succeed.
The anti-Houthi factions had been emboldened by an American air campaign against the rebels aimed at stopping them from attacking shipping in the Red Sea the Houthis claimed was carrying goods to Israel. But Trump abruptly ended the attacks in May, after extracting a promise from the Houthis to spare US ships.
ar.wikipedia.org
