Saudi coalition in Yemen announces ceasefire with southern separatists

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Saudi-led, coalition, Yemen, ceasefire, recognised government, southern separatists, Turki Al Malki
Fighters from the Southern Transitional Council (STC) deploy in the southern city of Aden after the council declared self-rule in the south in April 2020.

Riyadh - Coalition spokesman Al Maliki said the rival groups would hold fresh talks in Saudi Arabia to discuss the truce.

By AFP/Wam

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Published: Wed 24 Jun 2020, 12:16 AM

The Saudi-led military coalition in Yemen announced Monday a ceasefire between the internationally recognised government and southern separatists who have declared self-rule after a series of military gains.
Coalition spokesman Turki Al Maliki said the rival groups would hold fresh talks in Saudi Arabia to discuss the truce.
If the peace gesture holds, it would be a boon for the coalition and the Yemeni government in their battle against Iran-backed Houthi rebels who hold much of the north, in a conflict that has wracked the country for five years.
The announcement came after the separatists took control of the island of Socotra, situated near strategic shipping lanes and famed for its biodiversity, after ejecting government forces on the weekend.
"The Coalition welcomes the response of the legitimate government of Yemen and the Southern Transitional Council for its request of a comprehensive ceasefire, de-escalation and a meeting to be convened in the kingdom," Maliki said in a statement carried on state media.
He said the process would advance the implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, a power-sharing deal for the south which was struck late last year but which quickly became defunct.
Al Maliki added that the coalition rejects any behaviours that undermine security and stability and contravene the Riyadh Agreement in liberated areas.
The coalition said that it reaffirms its long-standing commitment to stand by Yemen and its brotherly people; and continue its efforts to unite Yemeni people, bridge the gap between their components and support their endeavours to restore their nation, security, stability, state unity and territorial integrity.
The spokesman said the coalition will deploy observers on land in Abyan to observe the comprehensive ceasefire and separation of forces.
It called on all Yemeni political, social and media components and powers to support the parties' response to convene a meeting in Riyadh, and work diligently to implement the agreement, that carries a substantial interest for Yemen and restores the state and its institutions in order to provide security, services and alleviate the suffering of the Yemeni people.
The southern separatists and the government are technically allies in the fight against the Houthi rebels, but the rift between them represents a damaging "war within a war" in the Arabian Peninsula's poorest country.
Since 2015, tens of thousands of people, mostly civilians, have been killed and millions displaced in what the United Nations calls the world's worst humanitarian disaster.
The south was an independent country before unification in 1990, and separatist sentiment remains strong.
The Southern Transitional Council declared self-rule on April 26, accusing the government of failing to carry out its duties.


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