In the winter there were still hopes that the waves between the government of Yemen and the separatists in the south would level off. Now their simmering conflict is heating up again. And the actually common fight against the Houthi rebels is even more difficult.
Sanaa (dpa) - In Yemen, the crisis between the government and the separatists in the south of the country is worsening. The separatists of the so-called Southern Transitional Council broke with a previously negotiated peace agreement and completely controlled the port city of Aden.
The council declared a state of emergency late on Saturday evening and declared that it would now manage the strategically important city itself. The internationally recognized government of President Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi, based in Aden, warned of "catastrophic consequences". She spoke on Sunday of a "clear revolt and a coup". At the same time, she called on the world community to condemn the separatists' move.
The separatists and the Hadi government are actually fighting together in the country against the Shiite Houthi rebels. These overran Yemen in 2014. Despite the common enemy, their alliance was always shaky. Already in the summer the calls of the separatists became louder after another split from the north - the north and south Yemen had only merged into one state in 1990. The Hadi government has been temporarily based in Aden since the Houthis drove them out of the capital Sanaa.
The internal conflict was already evident last August when units of the Transitional Council captured Aden and drove the government out of there. At the time, experts warned of a "civil war in civil war". In November, both sides agreed on a peace plan after months of fighting. After that, the government should move back to Aden and the separatists should be integrated into the regular armed forces.
Both sides now accused themselves of not having implemented details of the agreement concluded in Riyadh, or not having done so quickly. The Southern Transitional Council will be responsible for the "dangerous and catastrophic consequences" of Aden's self-government, announced Yemeni Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hadrami on Twitter.
Several provinces spoke out against what they considered the "irresponsible" move by the council. The administration of the province of Hadramut, which is controlled by the government, said it was a violation of the law and a violation of the Riyadh agreement. At the same time, allied units with the separatists gathered in Aden, eyewitnesses reported.
The conflict also shows ruptures in the alliance from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, which jointly launched attacks against the Houthis in 2015. The two countries are pursuing different goals in Yemen: Saudi Arabia supports the Hadi government and wants to push back the Houthis supported by Iran in the north, who repeatedly use rockets and drones to attack Saudi Arabia from there. The Emirates, on the other hand, want to control the port of Aden and the trade route there. They support the separatists in the south.
According to eyewitnesses, protests were held in Aden on Saturday about poor public services. Hundreds are reported to have taken to the streets after the electricity was cut off for several days. The background is severe flooding after heavy rain, which killed at least ten people in Aden.