A delegation led by Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of Yemen's main separatist group STC, will soon travel to Saudi Arabia, two sources told Reuters on Monday, a potential sign of progress towards ending a conflict between separatists and Yemen's internationally recognised government.
Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, Vice-President of the Presidential Leadership Council of Yemen, Reuters/Denis Balibouse
A delegation led by Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of Yemen's main separatist group STC, will soon travel to Saudi Arabia, two sources told Reuters on Monday, a potential sign of progress towards ending a conflict between separatists and Yemen's internationally recognised government.
The conflict, which began early last month, has triggered a major feud between the Gulf powers, Saudi Arabia and UAE, and fractured a coalition fighting Houthi forces.
The Iran-backed Houthis seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and Gulf countries intervened the following year in support of the internationally recognised government, splitting Yemen into rival zones of control.
The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council has for years been part of that government, which controls southern and eastern Yemen and is backed by Gulf states, but last month STC forces suddenly seized swathes of territory.
Al-Zubaidi's visit would come days after the internationally recognised government said late on Friday it had asked Saudi Arabia to host a forum to resolve the southern issue. Riyadh agreed and extended invitations to southern factions.
The STC welcomed the call for dialogue, potentially signalling that all sides now see negotiation as the eventual means of ending the brief conflict.
Government forces backed by Saudi airstrikes on Friday and Saturday took back control of the strategically important Hadramout and Mahra provinces in the east of Yemen.
The crisis triggered the biggest split in decades between formerly close allies Saudi Arabia and the UAE, as years of divergence on critical issues came to a head, threatening to upend the regional order.
Writing by Menna Alaa El-Din and Muhammad Al Gebaly
Saudi Arabia has launched an air accident probe following last week's cockpit stabbing on a flydubai jet, as experts examine any fallout for aviation safety alongside a separate UAE-led criminal investigation, three people close to the matter said.
More than 200,000 people have been displaced from their homes since fighting in Yemen began in recent weeks, according to data released on Wednesday by the United Nations' International Organization for Migration.
Houthis attacked the international airport in the southern Yemeni town of Aden with ballistic missiles and explosive-laden drones early on Wednesday, Yemen's Transport Ministry said, as fighting intensified across several fronts between the Iran-aligned group and Saudi-backed government forces.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.