Sawt Falasteen - Yemen separatists say Saudi-backed forces to deploy in seized territories

A surprise offensive by the STC, in which the separatists took control of resource-rich Hadramawt and Mahra provinces last month, has brought the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia, officially allies in Yemen, to a point of unprecedented escalation.

On Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen struck what it said was a shipment of Emirati weapons destined for the separatists, a claim Abu Dhabi has denied, and called for STC forces to withdraw.

In its statement on Thursday, the STC said it would continue to operate in the regions but had agreed to the deployment of the Riyadh-backed National Shield government force in the areas.

"Today, we launched an operation to integrate the southern National Shield forces so that they can assume the responsibilities and missions that fall to our armed forces," they announced.

The statement said a National Shield brigade would be deployed in "areas of the Hadramawt and Mahra governorates, as agreed".

But a source close to the Saudi government told AFP on Thursday that Saudi Arabia's security needs would only be met if the STC "move out of Hadramawt and Mahra".

The source, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the sensitive matter, said the redeployment of government forces did not go far enough.

"We have to wait and see what is carried out on the ground," they added.

Another source close to the Saudi military told AFP the Riyadh-led coalition was closely following events on the ground and making their own assessments.

- 'Security demands' -

Farea Al-Muslimi, a Gulf and Yemen researcher at the UK-based Chatham House think tank, characterised the deployment as a "face-saving measure" on the part of the STC that had been offered to Riyadh and rejected in the past.

"If a complete withdrawal and handover of Hadramawt and Mahra takes place, it could be a prelude to de-escalation," he told AFP.

"If it doesn't happen... it will never resolve Saudi Arabia's clear and direct security demands," Muslimi added.

Saudi Arabia, the main backer of the Yemeni government, had repeatedly urged the STC to withdraw from recently conquered territories, particularly areas along its southern border, and earlier conducted airstrikes against its positions.

Following the strikes on Tuesday, the UAE's defence ministry said it would withdraw its last remaining troops in Yemen after Saudi Arabia imposed a 24-hour deadline for their removal.

The Yemeni government, of which the STC is a part, comprises a fractious coalition of groups united by their opposition to the Iranian-backed Houthi rebels who seized the capital Sanaa in 2014 and subsequently large parts of northern Yemen.

While both are opposed to the Houthis, Riyadh and Abu Dhabi back different members of the Yemeni government.

The STC's December advance raised the possibility of the return of South Yemen, a separate state from 1967 to 1990, while dealing a hammer blow to slow-moving peace negotiations with the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.

Emirati troops arrived in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, who had forced the government from the capital Sanaa in 2014 and seized much of the country.

The UAE pulled out most of its forces in 2019, leaving only a limited number in the government-run south.

V.Said--SF-PST