ASSESSMENTS

A Renewed Southern Push for Autonomy Risks Deepening Yemen's Woes

Aug 14, 2019 | 09:30 GMT

A member of the southern separatist movement rides an armored military vehicle in Aden, Yemen, on Aug. 11, 2019.

A Saudi-led coalition launched a strike against Yemen's southern separatists after they seized the presidential palace in Aden in deadly fighting that threatened to push the war-ravaged nation deeper into turmoil.

(NABIL HASAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Highlights

Southern separatists are flexing their military muscles to push for the political concession they've been after for years: a legitimate, equal role in the next Yemeni government that grants them a path toward greater autonomy.
As the anti-Houthi conflict in the country grinds on, the southern movement's role within the war has shrunk over time, prompting it to focus on accelerating its sovereignty demands.
Transnational jihadist militants active in Yemen will work to take advantage of a partial Emirati withdrawal, infighting among southern factions and north-south tension.

The Southern Transitional Council, a partner in the coalition battling Houthi rebels, has ousted the Hadi government from Aden, stressing an already shaky partnership....

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