Yemen Separatist Leader’s Saudi Visit Signals Push for Dialogue Amid Escalating Gulf Rift
A delegation led by Southern Transitional Council chief Aidarous al-Zubaidi is set to travel to Riyadh as regional tensions over Yemen intensify and diplomatic efforts mount
A delegation led by the head of Yemen’s principal southern separatist movement, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, is due to travel to Saudi Arabia in a bid to defuse deepening tensions with Riyadh and other regional actors.
The planned visit comes after the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed faction that has seized significant territory in southern Yemen, welcomed a Saudi call for dialogue to stem recent military escalations that have strained the coalition fighting Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and frayed ties between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Relations between the Gulf powers and Yemen’s disparate armed groups have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks, with Riyadh urging the STC to withdraw from eastern provinces it captured late last year and warning of support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government if necessary.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen accused Mr. al-Zubaidi of earlier blocking a Saudi delegation from landing at Aden’s airport, underscoring the mistrust complicating efforts to broker talks.
The STC has denied Saudi allegations of an air blockade and instead accused Riyadh of imposing flight restrictions that require extra checks via Saudi territory.
The backdrop to the visit includes reports of air strikes and counter-accusations between the STC and pro-government forces in Hadramout province, as well as broader concern over the cohesion of the anti-Houthi coalition.
Riyadh’s outreach for dialogue is seen as an attempt to manage the fallout from fierce competition among Gulf states for influence in Yemen’s civil war, where the STC’s rapid offensive and assertion of autonomy have challenged Saudi-backed authorities.
Analysts say the talks could be pivotal in easing the Gulf rift and shaping the future course of Yemen’s fragmented conflict, even as the STC pushes for greater autonomy and retains control over swathes of the south.
The planned visit comes after the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed faction that has seized significant territory in southern Yemen, welcomed a Saudi call for dialogue to stem recent military escalations that have strained the coalition fighting Iran-aligned Houthi rebels and frayed ties between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Relations between the Gulf powers and Yemen’s disparate armed groups have deteriorated sharply in recent weeks, with Riyadh urging the STC to withdraw from eastern provinces it captured late last year and warning of support for Yemen’s internationally recognised government if necessary.
Saudi Arabia’s ambassador to Yemen accused Mr. al-Zubaidi of earlier blocking a Saudi delegation from landing at Aden’s airport, underscoring the mistrust complicating efforts to broker talks.
The STC has denied Saudi allegations of an air blockade and instead accused Riyadh of imposing flight restrictions that require extra checks via Saudi territory.
The backdrop to the visit includes reports of air strikes and counter-accusations between the STC and pro-government forces in Hadramout province, as well as broader concern over the cohesion of the anti-Houthi coalition.
Riyadh’s outreach for dialogue is seen as an attempt to manage the fallout from fierce competition among Gulf states for influence in Yemen’s civil war, where the STC’s rapid offensive and assertion of autonomy have challenged Saudi-backed authorities.
Analysts say the talks could be pivotal in easing the Gulf rift and shaping the future course of Yemen’s fragmented conflict, even as the STC pushes for greater autonomy and retains control over swathes of the south.
