"Saudi Arabia and the UAE entered the Yemen war as allies in 2015 to defeat the Iran-backed Houthis and restore the internationally recognized Yemeni government. However, their alliance fell apart over conflicting visions for Yemen's future, with Saudi Arabia supporting the central government and the UAE helping to build the separatist group in the south. The Saudi government has repeatedly urged the STC to withdraw from the two territories, particularly areas along its southern border, to protect its national security."
"In a statement, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatist group said it would continue to operate in Hadramout and AlMahra provinces that were seized in December, adding that it had agreed to the deployment of Saudi-backed National Shield government forces to those 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," the STC announced."
"Why are Hadramout and al-Mahra contested? Hadramout borders Saudi Arabia and is home to Yemen's largest oil fields and the Dhabba oil terminal on the Arabian Sea. Al-Mahra, meanwhile, has proposed routes for new oil pipelines that will allow Saudi oil exports to bypass the Strait of Hormuz. The Strait is a major chokepoint for global oil trade, which Iran has repeatedly threatened to blockade."
Saudi Arabia and the UAE intervened in Yemen in 2015 to fight the Iran-aligned Houthis and restore the internationally recognized government. The alliance later fractured as Saudi backed the central government while the UAE supported the Southern Transitional Council (STC) separatists. STC forces seized Hadramout and Al-Mahra provinces in December. The STC agreed to integrate Saudi-backed National Shield government forces into those provinces while stating it will continue to operate there to safeguard gains against the Houthis. Hadramout contains major oil fields and the Dhabba terminal; Al-Mahra offers pipeline routes to bypass the Strait of Hormuz, raising Saudi security concerns.
Read at www.dw.com
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