Aden (South24)

A Saudi–Emirati delegation arrived on Friday evening (December 12) in the interim capital, Aden, from Riyadh, according to Aden Independent TV, affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council (STC).

As the cavalcade passed, dozens of Southern citizens gathered along the main road leading to the Maashiq Presidential Palace, waving the flags of South Yemen, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the United Arab Emirates. 

According to flight-tracking data, the Gulf delegation arrived in Aden onboard an aircraft belonging to the UAE Air Force, which departed from Riyadh in the afternoon. 

Saudi Al Arabiya TV claimed that the team which visited Aden will discuss handing over Hadramout and Al-Mahra provinces to the Saudi-backed “Dera’ Al-Watan” (Nation’s Shield Forces). 

A source within the Southern Transitional Council denied Saudi media reports claiming that there are arrangements for the withdrawal of Southern forces from Hadramout, according to AIC TV, which is affiliated with the STC.

“There have been no discussions regarding the Southern military presence in Hadramout and Al-Mahra.” The source add.

The visit comes amid the escalating tensions within Yemen’s internationally recognized government between Southern officials aligned with the STC, and northern officials led by Rashad Al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council. The tensions stem from the Southern forces taking control over Hadramout and Al-Mahra governorates, a move the Southern forces say is aimed at securing the two governorates and unifying the security and military theater of operations. 

Earlier, on December 7, a Saudi delegation had arrived in the coastal city of Mukalla in an attempt to mediate between local authorities and tribal leader Amr bin-Habrish, after armed men loyal to bin-Habrish seized oil facilities before later being forced to withdraw. 

Saudi Arabia has called for the withdrawal of Southern forces from Al-Mahra and Hadramout, while seeking to deploy alternative Saudi-backed forces known as the “Nation’s Shield Forces,” which were established more than two years ago. 

According to senior sources speaking to South24, Saudi Arabia withdrew its forces from Maashiq Palace, Mayyun Island, and Aden International Airport on December 6, following the Southern forces’ announcement of “Operation Promising Future.” 

In remarks aired by Al Arabiya TV, Mohammed Al-Qahtani, head of the Saudi delegation that previously visited Hadramout, said that “the Southern cause is just,” noting that the Kingdom maintains strong ties with the people of the South. Saudi media outlets have also suggested progress in talks with the STC. 

The STC maintains that imposing security across the South’s eight governorates is a “non-negotiable security and military entitlement,” stressing that “the time for side disputes has ended,” and that efforts must be unified toward reclaiming Sanaa from the Iran-backed Houthi group. 

Against this backdrop, several Southern governorates have witnessed protests and massive sit-in camps calling for the declaration of the “State of South Arabia.” 

It is worth noting that South Yemen was an independent state until 1990, prior to unification with the North. In 1994, a war ended with the Sana’a-based regime asserting control over the South. In 2007, the Southern Peaceful Movement emerged demanding the restoration of the former southern state, a cause later institutionalized with the establishment of the STC in 2017, bringing together various components of the Southern Movement. 

The STC is currently a partner in Yemen’s internationally recognized government, holding half of the cabinet portfolios as well as three seats in the eight-member Presidential Leadership Council.