The Yemeni government, recognized by the international community, signed a power-sharing agreement with the separatists in Riyadh on Tuesday (November 5th) to end a conflict in southern Yemen, a country devastated by a war with multiple fronts.
"This agreement will open a new period of stability in Yemen, with Saudi Arabia standing by you," Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman said during the signing ceremony, which aired on television. "It's a day of joy for Saudi Arabia when it sees the Yemenis together," he added.
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The agreement provides, according to Yemeni and Saudi political sources, to integrate separatists who are members of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) into the government, the return of the latter to Aden, the big city in the south.
"An important step" towards a "peaceful settlement of the conflict in Yemen"
The UN envoy to Yemen, Martin Griffiths, hailed "the signing of this agreement, a milestone for our collective efforts towards a peaceful settlement of the conflict in Yemen".
"Listening to stakeholders in the south is important for political efforts to bring peace to the country," he said in a statement.
Saudi Arabia, which leads an anti-Houthi military coalition, sponsored talks in the Saudi city of Jeddah between the Yemeni government and the JTS.
Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and STC leader Aidarous al-Zoubeidi attended the signing of the agreement.
Sheikh Mohammed ben Zayed, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and strongman of the United Arab Emirates, also attended the ceremony. His country, a key member of the anti-Houthi coalition led by Saudi Arabia, is also supporting separatist forces in the south.
With AFP and Reuters