Yemen's southern separatist movement said on Friday it aims to hold a referendum on independence from the north in two years following its seizure of swathes of the country last month in a move that triggered a major feud between Gulf powers.
Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) wave flags of the STC and the United Arab Emirates, during a rally in Aden, Yemen, January 1, 2026. Reuters/Fawaz Salman
Yemen's southern separatist movement said on Friday it aims to hold a referendum on independence from the north in two years following its seizure of swathes of the country last month in a move that triggered a major feud between Gulf powers.
The Southern Transitional Council (STC) is backed by the United Arab Emirates and has for years been part of Yemen's internationally recognised government which is supported by Saudi Arabia and has led the fight against the Houthi movement.
Reporting by Maha El Dahan, Enas Alashray and Ahmed Tolba
Yemen's Saudi-backed government said it launched an operation on Friday against UAE-backed southern separatists, marking a major escalation in a rift between the two Gulf heavyweights.
Air traffic at Yemen's Aden international airport was halted on Thursday as tensions persisted between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two Gulf powers whose rivalry is reshaping war-torn Yemen.
The United Arab Emirates has pursued an assertive foreign policy and carved its own sphere of influence across the Middle East and Africa, a strategy in the spotlight after a rare military escalation with Saudi Arabia in Yemen this week.
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