Yemen leaders back Saudi effort to unify south

Saudi Arabia convened talks between south Yemen's leaders in Riyadh on Sunday as it intensifies efforts to stabilise the country following its recent military intervention against UAE-backed separatists.

Political and tribal leaders gathered in Riyadh to discuss unifying the country's south, which for years has been divided between competing factions sponsored by countries in the Gulf.  

The talks came two weeks after pro-Saudi forces led an offensive against the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) and forced its leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, to flee to Abu Dhabi.

The conflict was triggered after the UAE-sponsored group in December seized swathes of southern and eastern Yemen, and advanced close to the Saudi border in the strategic Hadramaut province.

In a joint statement, participants called the meeting a "historic opportunity" to stabilise the south and praised Saudi Arabia as a "fundamental guarantor of the region's security.

The offensive triggered a split within the STC, with some backing the Saudi-led initiative and others continuing to support al-Zubaidi's ambitions for independence.

Among the attendees in Riyadh were senior STC officials Ahmed Saeed bin Breik and Abdulrahman Al-Muharrami, with the latter continuing to serve in Yemen's Saudi-backed government.

The intervention has failed to diminish expressions of mass public support for al-Zubaidi in areas of the south.

Aden has seen thousands of protesters take to the streets to demand independence in response to calls from the STC leader.

The initiative is reportedly part of a wider Saudi effort to marginalise Abu Dhabi's influence in the country and support leaders committed to a national unity government. 

Since the defeat of the STC offensive, the internationally-recognised Presidential Leadership Council has purged most officials backed by Abu Dhabi and charged Zubaidi – formerly a vice president in the government - with treason.

Riyadh has also stepped in with financial support, committing $500 million to fund development projects in the poorer southern regions and subsidising civil servants' salaries.

The conflict exposed deep differences between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which were formerly partners in the anti-Houthi military coalition.

Abu Dhabi has backed southern separatist groups in an apparent bid to secure maritime and logistics routes, threatening the country's stability which Saudi Arabia views as a national security red line.