Yemen Monitor / London / Exclusive:
A separationist group backed by the United Arab Emirates, which has seized control of southern Yemen in recent days, has informed Western diplomats that the country will not reunite, as it prepares to declare an independent state, according to The Times newspaper in the United Kingdom.
The newspaper cited sources stating that this declaration from the Southern Transitional Council (STC) came during a meeting with members of the United Nations Security Council on Tuesday. One source said: “The STC made it clear that the unity of 1990 is over,” referring to the year North and South Yemen merged to become a single state.
The Times reported—a copy of which was reviewed by “Yemen Monitor”—that the separatists are seeking to gain international acceptance for the declaration of secession, despite opposition from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the region, and are facing considerable skepticism in the West.
According to the newspaper, the STC has sent envoys to meet with Israeli officials, arguing they have a common cause against the Houthis, the Iranian-backed group that controls parts of Yemen and has launched repeated attacks on Israel over the past two years.
STC leadership hopes to win the favor of President Trump, who is eager to expand the “Abraham Accords” between Israel and Arab states, by promising to recognize Israel once South Yemen is independent, according to two sources. Trump oversaw the Accords between Israel, the UAE, Sudan, Morocco, and Bahrain during his first term and is keen for more countries to sign on.
The STC’s control over Aden, the seat of the internationally recognized Yemeni 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 the Houthi rebels in the north and a loose alliance of factions in the south.
The group also seized the oil-rich governorates of Hadhramawt and Al-Mahra in the east, the latter bordering Oman. The STC’s moves have fueled tensions between Saudi Arabia, which backs the government led by Rashad Al-Alimi, and the UAE, which has invested in bolstering the STC’s power.
The STC claimed that its forces came under fire from Saudi aircraft while consolidating control over Hadhramawt this week. An STC official stated: “We can confirm that Saudi Arabia carried out airstrikes against Southern Armed Forces after they reached the 23rd Brigade in Al-Abar.” Saudi Arabia has not confirmed carrying out the strike.
Ahmed Nagi, a senior Yemen analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, said: “What happened is a sign of tensions between the United Arab Emirates and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
For its part, the UAE denied the existence of tensions with Saudi Arabia or that it supports the separation of the south, affirming it remains committed to the peace plan.
“We remain committed to all international peace efforts that lead to the resumption of the political process, which ultimately serves the aspirations of the Yemeni people for security, stability, and prosperity,” an Emirati official said. He added: “The issue of governance and the territorial integrity of Yemen is a matter that must be decided by the Yemeni parties themselves.”
