On Friday, January 2nd, the Saudi-backed Yemeni government launched a “peace initiative” in an attempt to regain military bases from the separatist group supported by the United Arab Emirates.
According to reports from Reuters, the Governor of Hadhramaut Province in Yemen, supported by Saudi Arabia, announced this action, signaling a further escalation of the situation in Yemen. Since December of last year, tensions between the Gulf allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE supporting opposing factions in Yemen have been intensifying.
The UAE-backed Yemeni separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), stated that since the announcement of this action, Saudi Arabia has carried out seven airstrikes.
The internationally recognized Yemeni government supported by Saudi Arabia announced on Friday the appointment of Governor Salem Ahmed Saeed al-Khunbashi of Hadhramaut Province to take full command of the “Homeland Shield” forces in the eastern provinces, granting him full military, security, and administrative authority in order to restore law and order.
Currently, Yemen has multiple factions coexisting, including the internationally recognized coalition government, the Houthi rebels controlling the north and northwest, the Southern separatist group STC, and other local militias.
In his speech on Yemeni television, the Governor of Hadhramaut Province stated that this peace initiative is not a declaration of war but rather a measure to prevent military bases from being used to threaten security and to protect the province from descending into chaos.
A spokesperson for the STC later announced on X platform that their forces have been placed on high alert across the region.
Three Yemeni sources confirmed to Reuters that Saudi-backed government armored vehicles are advancing towards the Al Khash military camp in Hadhramaut Province. The camp, which can accommodate thousands of soldiers, was occupied by the Southern Transitional Council in December last year.
The Saudi Arabian ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, stated on Friday that the STC chairman, Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, refused to grant permission for a Saudi delegation’s aircraft to land in Aden.
Al-Jaber explained that Al-Zubaidi had ordered the closure of Aden airport’s airspace on Thursday, preventing the Saudi delegation’s plane from landing in Aden to seek a resolution to the crisis.
Al-Jaber posted on social media X, “For weeks until yesterday, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has been diligently negotiating with the Southern Transitional Council to end the escalation of the situation… but has been repeatedly met with refusals and stubborn resistance from Aidarus Al-Zubaidi.”
The Yemeni Ministry of Transport controlled by the STC issued a statement on Thursday, accusing Saudi Arabia of imposing an air blockade and requiring all flights to be rerouted via Saudi for additional checks.
However, the statement clarified that when the Yemeni government contested this, the Saudi side clarified that the restrictions were only for flights between Aden and the UAE.
Aden International Airport serves as a major gateway to areas outside the Houthi-controlled zone in Yemen. On Thursday, the airport suspended all flights, leaving many passengers stranded.
The UAE-backed STC controls the transportation ministry in the internationally recognized Yemeni government, while the main leadership of the government receives support from Saudi Arabia.
Last month, the UAE-backed southern separatist forces seized a large area in the south from the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, which Saudi Arabia viewed as a threat.
This week, Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of pressuring the STC to advance towards its borders and urged the UAE to withdraw its remaining troops from Yemen. Subsequently, the UAE announced that it would withdraw its remaining troops stationed in Yemen.