Yemen’s separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) has welcomed an offer of dialogue from Saudi Arabia, following recent airstrikes by Riyadh on STC positions in southern Yemen. The STC views the Saudi initiative as a “genuine opportunity for serious dialogue” that could safeguard “the aspirations of the southern people.”
This response comes after the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs urged southern Yemeni factions to join a forum in Riyadh to “formulate a comprehensive vision for fair solutions to the southern cause.” Fighting in southern Yemen began after the STC launched a major offensive in Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces, which cover nearly half of Yemeni territory. Saudi Arabia, which borders Hadramout province, conducted strikes against the STC in border areas to protect its national security.
The escalation has heightened tensions between Saudi Arabia and its Gulf ally, the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as both countries support Yemeni factions fighting Houthi rebels, with Riyadh accusing Abu Dhabi of arming the STC, a claim the UAE denies, insisting it supports Saudi Arabia’s security. The UAE expressed “deep concern” over the ongoing escalation and called on Yemenis to “prioritise wisdom and exercise restraint to ensure security and stability in the country.”
Yemeni Government Retakes Control of Mukalla
Meanwhile, Yemen’s Saudi-backed government announced that its forces had retaken control of Mukalla, the key eastern port and capital of Hadramout. Rashad al-Alimi, the head of the Presidential Leadership Council, stated that the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces achieved “record success” in “retaking all military and security positions in the province” bordering Saudi Arabia. Two government military officials reported that Mahra province and its armed forces, which had aligned with the STC during its recent advance, switched their loyalty to Saudi-backed forces without resistance. One official said the Mahra forces had “lowered the separatist flag and raised the Yemeni flag.”
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen formed in 2015 after Iran-aligned Houthi rebels seized control of the capital, Sanaa, and other parts of the country. Despite a brutal, decade-long civil war, the Houthis remain in place, while Saudi-backed forces and other factions continue to fight each other in the south. The coalition has issued repeated warnings and conducted airstrikes over the past week, including one on an alleged Emirati arms shipment to the STC. On Friday, a strike on the Al-Khasha military camp in Hadramout killed 20 people, according to the STC.
