Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: The ancient faultlines within the Arab Muslims reappeared when the Saudi-led coalition warned the UAE-backed Yemen separatists of “immediate action,” the media reported on Saturday.
The Saudi-led coalition, fighting in in Yemen, warned it would immediately respond to any military movements of separatists backed by the United Arab Emirates that undermine de-escalation efforts in the southern region of the country.
“Any military movements that violate these efforts will be dealt with directly and immediately to protect civilian lives and ensure the success of restoring calm,” said Brigadier-General Turki al-Maliki, a coalition spokesperson, according to the Saudi Press Agency.
Without providing evidence, he also accused the Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatists of serious and horrific human rights violations against civilians.
This warning came a day after separatists accused Saudi Arabia of targeting their forces with airstrikes, which the Kingdom has not formally acknowledged. Riyadh’s relations with the UAE have been strained due to STC actions.
Yemen, engulfed in a civil war for more than a decade, has the Iran-backed Houthis controlling much of the northern regions, while a Saudi-UAE-backed coalition supports the internationally recognized government in the south.
However, the UAE also backs the southern separatists who call for South Yemen to secede once again from Yemen.
The STC moved earlier this month into Yemen’s governorates of Hadramout and Mahra and seized an oil-rich region. It pushed out forces affiliated with the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces (NSF), another group aligned with the coalition in fighting the Houthis.
The coalition now demands the withdrawal of STC forces from the two governorates, with local authorities back to overseeing them, and the handover of their military camps.
Rashad al-Alimi, head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, the governing body of the internationally recognized government, said after an emergency meeting late Friday that STC movements posed serious violations against civilians.
The coalition said in its Saturday announcement it came at al-Alimi’s request to protect civilians in Hadramout.
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