UNSC voices concern about secessionist bid in south Yemen

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has expressed deep concern about a declaration of self-rule in Yemen’s south by separatists allied to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), reaffirming the world body’s strong commitment to Yemen’s “unity and sovereignty.”

On Sunday, the so-called Southern Transitional Council (STC), a UAE-backed secessionist organization, declared “emergency rules” in Yemen’s southern provinces.

The separatists, once part of the Saudi-led military coalition against Yemen and supporting the fugitive president Mansur Hadi, broke ties with Saudi-sponsored militants in Yemen and accused Hadi of corruption and mismanagement.

The war has killed tens of thousands of Yemenis and pushed the entire country close to the brink of famine.

On Wednesday, members of the UNSC issued a statement expressing their concern that the STC’s actions “could distract from the efforts of [UN] Special Envoy Martin Griffiths to secure a nationwide ceasefire, confidence-building measures, and the restart of a Yemeni-led and owned inclusive political process.”

They also urged the self-proclaimed Hadi regime and the Ansarullah movement, whose members have helped establish a new government following Hadi’s escape, to “reinforce their engagement with a view to reaching agreement on the Special Envoy’s proposals as soon as possible.”

The UNSC also called on the STC to expedite the implementation of an agreement that was signed by the UAE-backed separatists and Hadi’s self-proclaimed regime in Riyadh last November with the aim of bringing about reconciliation between the two sides.

A day after the STC declared the establishment of its so-called emergency rule in southern Yemen, the deeply-divided Saudi-led military coalition called on the separatists to return to the Riyadh agreement.

The clashes that preceded the Riyadh deal and the Emirati-backed forces’ recent declaration expose wide gaps between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates concerning the direction of a war that has fallen short of all of its objectives.

SS