ASSESSMENTS
Southern Yemen Inches Toward Independence. But at What Cost?
Nov 5, 2019 | 17:19 GMT
(MOHAMMED HUWAIS/AFP/Getty Images)
Highlights
- The most recent battle for Aden will give the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) more political influence to pursue its goal of southern independence.
- This will continue to fuel conflict with the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, straining Riyadh and Abu Dhabi's alliance in Yemen in the process (even as their partnership in other theaters remains intact).
- The fighting will also grant Houthis and jihadist groups a chance to make limited gains elsewhere in the country, as the Saudi-led coalition focuses on keeping the STC from gaining more ground in the south.
- Such security risks may ultimately prompt the two sides to shelve their current battle, though the southern separatists will still likely use their gains to demand greater autonomy in Yemen's future.
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