Saudi Arabia warns Yemen’s southern separatists against escalation in east
Saudi Arabia called on Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council to withdraw forces, heed mediation efforts, and avoid escalation threatening civilians and fragile stability in southern provinces.
Saudi Arabia’s Defence Minister Prince Khalid bin Salman has urged Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) to respond to mediation efforts and avoid further escalation in the country’s south.
In a message posted on X on Saturday, Prince Khalid called on STC forces to withdraw from military camps and positions in Yemen’s Hadramout and Al-Mahra provinces and hand them over to local authorities.
At the same time, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen warned that any military action by the STC undermining de-escalation efforts in Hadramout would be met with a response aimed at protecting civilians.
The warning followed a request by Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi, who called for urgent measures to protect civilians from what he described as violations by armed groups affiliated with the STC.
Yemen was divided into northern and southern states until unification in 1990, and southern separatism has remained a persistent political challenge. The STC seeks autonomy or the restoration of an independent southern state.
Backed by the United Arab Emirates, the STC has in recent weeks forced the internationally recognised, Saudi-backed Yemeni government out of its temporary capital, Aden, claiming broad control over southern Yemen.
On Friday, the STC rejected Saudi Arabia’s earlier request to withdraw from areas it seized in early December, saying it would continue to provide security in Hadramout and Al-Mahra.
The group said its military operations were aimed at countering security threats, including disrupting supply routes used by Iran-backed Houthi forces that control northern Yemen.
Prince Khalid stressed that disputes must be resolved through consensus rather than military escalation, warning that unilateral actions would only benefit a “common enemy”.
He added that the southern issue would remain part of any comprehensive political settlement and must be addressed through trust-building, adherence to commitments, and dialogue among all Yemenis.
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