The Southern Transitional Council in Yemen withdraws from the talks to implement the Riyadh Agreement

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council informed Saudi Arabia of its decision to suspend its participation in the ongoing consultations to implement the "Riyadh Agreement," for reasons including "the increasing pace of military escalation" and "the continued military build-up operations towards the south."

In a message to Saudi Arabia, the Southern Transitional attributed this decision to several reasons, which are the increasing pace of military escalation by the forces affiliated with the Yemeni government in the governorate of Abyan, as well as the continuation of military mobilization operations towards the south, with the great participation of elements of al-Qaeda and the Islamic State, among the forces affiliated with the Yemeni government .

The letter also mentioned among the reasons for the decision to suspend participation, not caring for the families of the martyrs, treating the wounded, and not paying pensions and monthly salaries for several months, in addition to the continued targeting of the Yemeni government forces in targeting civilians in Shabwa governorate, Hadramout Valley and Al Mahrah.

Among the reasons - according to the Southern Transitional Council - the collapse of public services in the southern governorates, and the continued collapse of the currency.

Saudi Arabia is trying to implement the agreement, which was first proposed last November, to end the conflict between southern separatists and the Yemeni government.

The new mechanism of the Riyadh Agreement included the transitional council’s abandonment of the Autonomous Administration and the formation of a government of equal competencies between the south and the north, and the assignment of the current Prime Minister, Maeen Abdul Malik, to form a government of political competencies within 30 days.

It also included the continuation of the ceasefire and escalation between the legitimate government and the Transitional Council, as well as the departure of the military forces from Aden outside the governorate and the separation of the two parties' forces in Abyan governorate and returning them to their previous locations.