ALBAWABA- The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia strongly criticized recent military advances by the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Hadramout and Al-Mahra governorates, describing them as "unilateral" actions taken without approval from Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) or coordination with the Saudi-led coalition.
In an official Foreign Ministry statement, Riyadh warned that the STC's operations constituted an "unjustified escalation" harming Yemeni national interests, the southern cause, and coalition efforts for stability.
It reaffirmed the southern issue as a "just cause" that can be resolved only through inclusive dialogue within a comprehensive political solution.
Saudi Arabia has disclosed joint efforts with the UAE, PLC President Rashad al-Alimi, and the Yemeni government to contain the crisis, including the deployment of a Saudi-Emirati military team to arrange the withdrawal of STC forces to their pre-escalation positions.
On his part, Yemeni PLC President al-Alimi praised UN Secretary-General António Guterres' assessment of the crisis, urging the international community to support constitutional measures.
He cautioned that internal fragmentation risks empowering extremists and creating security vacuums along vital Red Sea shipping lanes, emphasizing that regional maritime security depends on Yemeni state stability rather than legitimizing parallel entities.
Tensions escalated in mid-December after UAE-backed separatist STC forces moved into Hadramout and Al-Mahra, seizing military camps and state institutions and renewing calls for southern secession.
The escalation resulted in the killing of dozens of soldiers and officers, many reportedly from northern governorates, while others were abducted, with their fate still unknown.
The incident highlights deepening rifts in the Saudi-UAE coalition, allegedly launched in 2015 against Houthis. While the PLC holds international legitimacy, effective control remains fragmented- Houthis dominate areas with 70% of the population, STC controls much of the south, and various UAE- and Saudi-aligned militias hold sway elsewhere, perpetuating Yemen's protracted humanitarian crisis.
Continued rivalry among coalition allies and Yemeni factions risks entrenching Yemen’s political fragmentation, even as millions of Yemenis endure the world’s worst humanitarian crisis after more than 11 years of war, marked by unpaid salaries, economic collapse, and severe restrictions on movement and trade.
