The United Arab Emirates’ Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement Friday supporting Saudi Arabian efforts to promote security in Yemen. The announcement came one day after Saudi Arabia called on Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) to withdraw its forces from eastern governorates seized earlier this month.
In its December 26 statement, the Emirati Foreign Ministry said the UAE “reaffirmed its steadfast commitment to supporting all endeavours aimed at strengthening stability and development in Yemen.”
The previous day, Saudi Arabia had publicly stated its hope that the STC, a southern separatist group, would de-escalate and remove its forces from the Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces.
The STC, which has received military and financial support from the UAE, expanded its control into the eastern provinces after taking over Aden, the temporary seat of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, in early December. These actions have caused friction within the coalition fighting Houthi forces in the country’s north.
To address the situation, a joint Saudi-Emirati military delegation arrived in Aden on December 12. A Saudi official stated the delegation was sent to make “the necessary arrangements” to ensure the return of STC forces to their prior positions.
The STC was originally part of a Saudi-led coalition that intervened in Yemen’s civil war in 2015 to support the government against the Houthi movement. The STC has since also pursued its objective of self-rule for southern Yemen.
Yemen has been in a state of civil war since 2014, when Houthi forces took control of the capital, Sanaa, forcing the government to relocate south to Aden. Yemen was unified from two separate states, North and South Yemen, in 1990.
 advanced into Hadramout and al-Mahra provinces. Saudi Arabia seeks STC withdrawal.){kind=link}