Yemen’s internationally recognised government has accused UAE-backed southern separatists of restricting access to the port city of Aden, warning it would take “all necessary measures” as tensions persist despite renewed talk of dialogue.
The government said on Sunday that the Southern Transitional Council (STC) had taken steps to block the movement of citizens into Aden, and claimed it had received reports of arrests across the city. The accusations come a day after government forces said they had retaken territory in eastern Yemen following clashes with the separatists.
The STC denied the claims, telling Reuters the accusations were a complete distortion of the facts and insisting that the situation in Aden remained stable. Reuters said it could not independently verify the government’s allegations.
The dispute highlights continuing hostility between the two sides, even after proposals for talks raised hopes of a negotiated solution. Fighting between the government and the STC since early last month has fractured the Saudi-led coalition battling the Houthi movement and triggered a wider rift between Gulf powers.
The Houthis, who are backed by Iran, seized the capital Sanaa in 2014, prompting Saudi Arabia and its allies to intervene the following year in support of the government. Since then, Yemen has been split into rival zones of control.
A senior government official told Reuters that forces would continue advancing towards Aden, adding that any dialogue would only begin once the city was secured. Aden has served as the main seat of power outside Houthi-controlled areas since 2015, but government leaders relocated to Saudi Arabia early last month after the STC seized control of the city.
On Saturday, government forces said they had retaken Mukalla in the eastern province of Hadramout, while residents around Aden reported STC fighters setting up checkpoints.
Disruption has also affected air travel. Aden airport closed on Thursday amid a dispute over flights between the city and the United Arab Emirates, with both sides blaming each other. At least one flight departed on Sunday, according to travellers and airport officials. The U.S. Embassy said it had received reports of closures and diversions, including flights redirected to the Yemeni island of Socotra.
Late on Friday, the government said it had asked Saudi Arabia to host a forum to resolve the southern dispute. Riyadh agreed and extended invitations to southern factions. The STC welcomed the move on Saturday, signalling that negotiations may now be seen by all sides as the eventual way out of the brief but destabilising conflict.
China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, has met Pakistan’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq, in Islamabad to di...
British police are facing a national backlash over their handling of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed while d...
International organisations, investors, environmental experts and business representatives gathered in Samarkand for the opening of Eco Expo Central A...
China is sending doctors, medical teams and emergency supplies to help combat a growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, joining an international eff...
Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan has said Yerevan remains committed to normalising relations with Azerbaijan and Türkiye, expressing confidenc...
Fresh Houthi missile and drone strikes on Israel mark a significant widening of the Iran-centred conflict, raising fears the Yemen-based group could open a new front. Their position near the Bab el-Mandeb strait also threatens global shipping and energy flows.
Fears of wider escalation grow despite President Donald Trump saying U.S. strikes on Iran could end within weeks. Meanwhile missile attacks, tanker incidents and rising casualties across Israel, Lebanon and the Gulf heighten risks to regional stability and energy routes.
President Donald Trump said the United States could end its military attacks on Iran within two to three weeks and Tehran did not have to make a deal as a prerequisite for the conflict to wind down.
The Israeli military said on Monday that Iran launched multiple waves of missiles at Israel, and an attack had also been launched from Yemen for the second time since the U.S.-Israeli war began on Tehran. It said two drones from Yemen were intercepted early 30 March but gave no further details.
Okinawa lost transport links and suffered widespread power outages on Monday (1 June) as Severe Tropical Storm Jangmi brought destructive winds and heavy rain to Japan's south-western islands.
Competing narratives continue to shape perceptions of the war in Ukraine, with Russian leadership suggesting a possible end phase while Ukrainian officials warn of renewed large-scale attacks and ongoing escalation risks.
Dutch police have launched an investigation into the use of force against a pregnant woman at an asylum seekers' centre in Zeist after videos of the incident circulated widely on social media.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio has held talks with Lebanese President and Israeli Prime Minister on efforts to ease tensions between Israel and Lebanon. According to a U.S. official, Washington has proposed a plan aimed at achieving a gradual de-escalation of hostilities.
When Armenians vote on 7 June, they will be voting in an election shaped by months of political change and a rapidly deepening relationship with the European Union. The result may not only determine who governs Armenia but also the future direction of the country's geopolitical alignment.
British police are facing a national backlash over their handling of the fatal stabbing of 18-year-old student Henry Nowak, who was handcuffed while dying from stab wounds after his attacker falsely claimed to be the victim of a racist assault.
China is sending doctors, medical teams and emergency supplies to help combat a growing Ebola outbreak in Central Africa, joining an international effort to contain the disease before it spreads further.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards (IRGC) said they struck a cargo ship owned by the “American-Zionist enemy” with a cruise missile after an Iranian freighter was attacked in the Sea of Oman.
Dutch police have launched an investigation into the use of force against a pregnant woman at an asylum seekers' centre in Zeist after videos of the incident circulated widely on social media.
Hungarian Prime Minister Péter Magyar said on Monday that his government would begin legal proceedings to remove President Tamás Sulyok if he continues to reject calls to resign.
You can download the AnewZ application from Play Store and the App Store.
What is your opinion on this topic?
Leave the first comment