The Saudi-backed Yemen government has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of providing drones to the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC). Yemen claims to have recovered some in a shoot-down.
The STC wants an independent South Yemen as the end of the war, while the Saudi-backed faction wants the whole country, and has bristled at any suggestion of power-sharing. The two have fought several times in the region.
Yemeni officials claimed the UAE also provided drones in Libya, “where they received a harsh lesson,” and threatened worse in Yemen.The UAE provided a lot of arms to Libya’s rebels, which were/are backed by the Saudis as well.
The UAE is keen to buy influence in the region with arms transfers, and in Yemen that means the STC. The Saudis tried to resolve this with a power-sharing deal, which the government spurned.
Good article. The KSA and UAE are fighting over the spoils of a civil war not over yet.
South Yemen will never forget that it was once an independent country. North Yemen possibly wouldn’t normally care.
KSA/USA need North Yemen for influence over the Red Sea and South Yemen to have influence over the Sea of Aden.
South Yemen/Aden port would flatter the UAE’s presence on the Arabian Sea.