Yemen Monitor/ Riyadh/ Exclusive:
On Sunday, the Yemeni government signaled that its next destination could be the Aden governorate and other southern provinces, following the consolidation of its control over the Hadramawt and Al-Mahra governorates.
The Yemeni Minister of Information told The New York Times that Yemeni government forces have reclaimed Hadramawt and are “stationed in positions” within Al-Mahra.
Speaking via telephone, Muammar al-Eryani stated that the interim capital, Aden, and other Yemeni provinces might be the next objective. He called upon local forces in those areas to surrender “as the State restores its authority.”
The Yemeni Presidency issued a statement on Sunday evening demanding that the Southern Transitional Council (STC) cease its “arbitrary measures” and stop preventing citizens from northern provinces from entering Aden. According to travelers, the STC complied immediately, allowing entry after three days of refusal.
Anwar al-Tamimi, a spokesperson for the STC, confirmed in a phone interview that their forces “were forced to withdraw under the weight of Saudi bombardment, which left us without vehicles in some areas and unable to move, resulting in many casualties.” This was in reference to being prevented from departing with military hardware.
“To protect the lives of our fighters, we withdrew after our initial advance, acting under immense pressure,” al-Tamimi added. “Al-Mahra and Hadramawt are now outside of our control.”
By Sunday, a large convoy of vehicles entered the city of Mukalla, seizing control of key government institutions. The convoy flew the flags of the “Nation’s Shield Forces” (Dir’ al-Watan) alongside Yemeni national flags. The Nation’s Shield is a Saudi-backed force that operates under the authority of the Yemeni government.
The next step is likely to be a diplomatic conference called for by Saudi Arabia to discuss the future of southern Yemen. The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the Kingdom is ready to host this conference in Riyadh to bring together Yemeni factions “to discuss just solutions for the Southern Issue.”
The STC welcomed the proposal, adding that any “serious dialogue must begin with the recognition of the will of the people of the South.”
