Yemen: Hadi’s government fixes condition to accept dialogue with Riyadh

The Yemeni government has demanded the withdrawal of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) forces from the areas they controlled in Aden, south of Yemen, before engaging in any dialogue.

This came according to a tweet by the Yemeni Ministry of Foreign Affairs on Wednesday.

Yemen’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Mohammed Abdullah Al-Hadrami, said that the Yemeni government welcomed Saudi Arabia’s call for “a meeting to stand up to the coup in Aden.”

Al-Hadrami continued: “However, all parties must adhere to the statement issued by the Saudi-Emirati coalition regarding the STC’s withdrawal from the locations seized during the past days, before engaging in any dialogue.”

#الحضرمي: رحبت الحكومة بالدعوة المقدمة من المملكة العربية السعودية الشقيقة لعقد اجتماع للوقوف امام ما ترتب عليه الانقلاب في عدن، ولكن يجب أولا أن يتم الالتزام بما ورد في بيان التحالف من ضرورة انسحاب المجلس الانتقالي من المواقع التي استولى عليها خلال الأيام الماضية قبل اي حوار.

— وزارة خارجية الجمهورية اليمنية (@yemen_mofa) August 14, 2019

On Saturday, Saudi Arabia called for an “urgent meeting” with the warring parties in Aden, following a declaration made by the southern separatists on the seizure of the presidential palace in the Yemeni interim capital after four days of fighting.

Read: Saudi commission in Yemen for rebels’ withdrawal

The UAE-backed STC forces, which have called for the secession of the south, are now in control of the Yemeni interim capital, Aden, after four days of confrontations with the legitimate government forces.

During the clashes, more than 40 people were killed, including civilians, in addition to 260 wounded, according to statistics of local and international human rights organisations.

Since 2015, Saudi Arabia and the UAE have led an alliance carrying out military operations in Yemen in support of pro-government forces against Iranian-backed Houthis, who have controlled several Yemeni provinces including the capital Sanaa since 2014.

The war in Yemen has caused the death of thousands of civilians and led to the displacement of millions. It has also spread disease and famine, amid international condemnations and demands to stop the war. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been accused of committing violations against civilians there.