Overview
- Saudi Arabia called for a comprehensive conference in Riyadh to bring southern factions together to discuss solutions to the southern cause.
- Officials said the invitation originated from Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, and Chairman Rashad al-Alimi publicly urged southern groups to attend.
- The Saudi-led coalition carried out strikes in Hadramawt on Friday that the separatists say killed 20, with fresh gunfire reported in Mukalla and Seiyun.
- The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council has seized broad southern territory and launched a two-year process toward an independence referendum.
- Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have sharpened over the STC’s advance, as Riyadh accuses Abu Dhabi of arming the group, the UAE denies the charge, and it announced the return of all Emirati forces from Yemen.