Saudi Arabia begins dividing southern Yemen

SHABWA, Sept. 26 (YPA) – Political sources on Thursday revealed a Saudi-Emirati agreement to hand over Aden province to the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council’s militia and transfer the headquarters of Hadi’s government to one of the southern provinces.

The sources confirmed that Saudi Arabia has begun arranging the maintenance and restoration of Ataq airport, with the aim of transferring ministers and officials of Hadi government from Riyadh to Shabwa province, southeast of Yemen.

The decision to transfer Hadi’s government to Shabwa confirms the failure of the Saudi-sponsored Jeddah dialogue between Hadi and the southern transition, the sources added.

This comes within the framework of Saudi efforts to control the oil province of Shabwa, where it has strengthened its military presence by sending large military reinforcements to the provincial capital during the past two months.

Minister of Transport in Hadi’s government said Thursday in a tweet on Twitter “the government members will return to Shabwa to temporarily manage their activities until the liberation of Aden, noting that the Ataq airport will be opened to be an international terminal, as well as the port of the province.”

The transitional council’s militias loyal to the UAE took the control of all camps belonging to Hadi’s forces and government institutions in the city of Aden in early August.

YPA