Saudi Arabia called on forces of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Thursday to withdraw from the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahra, saying recent military moves were carried out "unilaterally" and without coordination with the Yemeni government or the Arab coalition.
The STC's deployments in the two provinces led to "unjustified escalation" that harmed the interests of the Yemeni people, the southern cause and coalition efforts, the Saudi Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
The ministry said Riyadh has prioritized unity and peaceful solutions in recent months and has worked to contain the situation in coordination with the United Arab Emirates, Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council and the Yemeni government.
As part of those efforts, Saudi Arabia said a joint Saudi-Emirati military team was dispatched to Aden in southern Yemen to put arrangements in place with the STC that would ensure its forces return to their previous positions outside the two provinces.
The plan also calls for the handover of camps to the National Shield Forces, affiliated with the Presidential Leadership Council, and local authorities through organized procedures under coalition supervision, the ministry said.
The kingdom said efforts are continuing to restore conditions to their previous state and expressed hope that the STC would prioritize the public interest by ending the escalation and withdrawing its forces smoothly and urgently from Hadramout and Mahra.
It urged all Yemeni parties and components to exercise restraint and avoid actions that could undermine security and stability. It also stressed the need to intensify efforts to restore social peace and security.
Saudi Arabia reaffirmed that the southern issue is a just cause with historical and social dimensions, saying it should be resolved through inclusive Yemeni dialogue within a comprehensive political settlement.
It also reiterated its support for Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council and government in pursuing security, stability, development and peace.
Since Dec. 3, the STC forces have taken control of parts of Hadramout following clashes with the Hadramout Tribes Alliance and government-aligned First Military Region forces. Four days later, STC forces expanded their control to Mahra, which had been under government authority.
The STC says successive governments have politically and economically marginalized southern regions, a claim Yemeni authorities deny, as they insist on the country's territorial unity.
