Saudi Arabia has issued a strong public demand for Emirati-backed separatist forces in southern Yemen to immediately withdraw from two key governorates they recently occupied. This call exposes a significant rift within the fragile coalition that has been fighting the Iran-aligned Houthi rebels in the north of the war-torn country.
Coalition Under Strain as Separatists Advance
In a statement released on Thursday, Saudi Arabia's Foreign Ministry urged the Southern Transitional Council (STC) to pull its forces out of the governorates of Hadramout and Mahra. The STC, a separatist group that seeks the revival of an independent South Yemen, moved into these areas earlier this month, a move seen as a major escalation.
The Saudi statement declared that the separatists' actions have "resulted in an unjustified escalation that harmed the interests of all segments of Yemeni people." It stressed the importance of all Yemeni factions cooperating to avoid measures that destabilize security. The kingdom backs Yemen's internationally recognized government and its National Shield Forces, which are opposed by both the Houthis and the southern separatists.
Mediation efforts are reportedly underway to convince the STC forces to return to their previous positions outside Hadramout and Mahra and hand over military camps to the National Shield Forces. The local authority in Hadramout has expressed support for the Saudi announcement, calling for the Emirati-backed fighters to withdraw.
Funerals and Regional Fallout
Meanwhile, in the Houthi-held capital Sanaa, crowds gathered for the funerals of four rebel fighters. Among them was Major General Zakaria Abdullah Yahya Hajar, the group's top missile and drone commander, who was presumed killed in a U.S. airstrike in March. U.S. officials had identified Hajar as a key target linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard.
The separatist advance and Saudi reaction have put considerable pressure on the relationship between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Both are close allies and OPEC members, but they have also competed for influence in the region. The UAE has long provided support to the STC, while Saudi Arabia champions the official Yemeni government.
This internal conflict within the anti-Houthi alliance threatens to further complicate Yemen's devastating nine-year war. The conflict has killed more than 150,000 people and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises, pushing the nation to the brink of famine.
Broader Implications for Red Sea Security
The instability in Yemen has far-reaching consequences, particularly for global shipping. The Houthis have launched numerous attacks on commercial vessels in the Red Sea corridor in protest of the Israel-Hamas war, severely disrupting a vital trade route. While attacks have recently slowed, many shippers continue to take the longer, costlier route around Africa's Cape of Good Hope to avoid the danger.
Further chaos within the anti-Houthi coalition could draw the United States deeper into the conflict. The U.S. has conducted multiple airstrike campaigns against Houthi targets this year, including using B-2 bombers to target underground bunkers.
As demonstrators in the southern port city of Aden rallied under the flag of the old South Yemen, calling for renewed secession, the path to peace in Yemen appears more fractured than ever. The Saudi demand highlights the complex web of regional rivalries that continue to fuel the conflict, with the Yemeni people bearing the heaviest cost.
