ASSESSMENTS

A Renewed Southern Push for Autonomy Risks Deepening Yemen's Woes

Aug 14, 2019 | 09:30 GMT

A member of the southern separatist movement rides an armored military vehicle in Aden, Yemen, on Aug. 11, 2019.

A Saudi-led coalition launched a strike against Yemen's southern separatists after they seized the presidential palace in Aden in deadly fighting that threatened to push the war-ravaged nation deeper into turmoil.

(NABIL HASAN/AFP/Getty Images)

Highlights

  • Southern separatists are flexing their military muscles to push for the political concession they've been after for years: a legitimate, equal role in the next Yemeni government that grants them a path toward greater autonomy.
  • As the anti-Houthi conflict in the country grinds on, the southern movement's role within the war has shrunk over time, prompting it to focus on accelerating its sovereignty demands.
  • Transnational jihadist militants active in Yemen will work to take advantage of a partial Emirati withdrawal, infighting among southern factions and north-south tension.

The Southern Transitional Council, a partner in the coalition battling Houthi rebels, has ousted the Hadi government from Aden, stressing an already shaky partnership....

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