Yemen separatist delegation set for Saudi talks
Visit by STC leader seen as step toward easing southern clashes and restoring unity within anti-Houthi coalition
CAIRO, Egypt (MNTV) — A delegation led by Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC), is expected to travel to Saudi Arabia in the coming days, sources said.
According to news agencies, the planned visit is seen as a potential step toward easing tensions between southern separatists and Yemen’s internationally recognized government.
The planned visit follows weeks of armed confrontation that erupted last month, when STC forces seized large areas of territory previously held by government troops, deepening divisions within the Gulf-backed coalition fighting Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi movement.
The STC, supported by the United Arab Emirates, has long been part of the internationally recognized government, which controls much of southern and eastern Yemen with backing from Saudi Arabia and other Gulf states.
However, the sudden territorial gains by separatist forces fractured that arrangement and intensified rivalry between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi.
Al-Zubaidi’s expected trip comes shortly after Yemen’s government formally requested Saudi Arabia to host dialogue aimed at resolving the so-called “southern issue.” Riyadh agreed to convene talks and issued invitations to various southern political factions.
The STC publicly welcomed the initiative, raising hopes that negotiations could replace military confrontation as a means to settle the dispute.
Over the weekend, government forces, supported by Saudi airstrikes, regained control of the strategically important eastern provinces of Hadramout and Mahra.
The latest crisis has marked one of the most serious rifts in decades between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, exposing long-standing differences over Yemen and threatening broader regional alignments as the war enters a new and uncertain phase.
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