Yemen’s separatists abandon declaration of self-rule, pledges implementation of power-sharing rule

Yemenis southern separatists have made a pledge to rescind their aspirations for self-rule and implement a Saudi-brokered power-sharing agreement with the government of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

This was announced on Wednesday July 29, 2020, by the Southern Transitional Council and this marked a major step the closure of dangerous rifts between the nominal allies.

The announcement was triggegered by Saudi Arabia’s presentation to accelerate the implementation of the stalled peace deal.

The proposal calls for the formation of a new government within 30 days and the appointment of a new governor and security director for Aden, the interim seat of Hadi’s government.

Nizar Haitham, the spokesman for the STC, in a tweet said, “We have achieved our goals.”

“The Southern Transitional Council announces the abandonment of the declaration of self-administration in order to allow the Arab alliance to implement the Riyadh agreement,” he added.

Last year’s power-sharing deal, signed in the Saudi capital of Riyadh, set the stage for the end of a long-running rivalry between the Saudi-backed Hadi government and the UAE-backed southern separatists.

Both sides are supposed allies in the Saudi-led coalition’s war against Yemen’s Houthi rebels, who control the country’s capital, Sanaa.