Yemen: Government vows to fight separatists as clashes erupt in south
Yemen’s internationally-recognised government has said its forces will confront an “armed rebellion” by United Arab Emirates-backed separatists in the south, amid growing concerns over the opening up of a new front in the country’s long-running war during the coronavirus pandemic.
On April 25, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) declared self-rule in the port city of Aden and nearby areas, threatening to renew conflict with the Saudi-backed government, its nominal ally in a military coalition assembled by Saudi Arabia in 2015 to fight Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Foreign Minister Mohammed al-Hadhrami said on Tuesday the STC had refused calls from the government and the international community to reverse its declaration.
The army will do “everything necessary to preserve the state, its institutions, and the safety of its citizens against (the STC)”, he added.