UAE influence in the south is an obstacle to political agreement in Yemen
The Saudi-sponsored negotiations between the Yemeni government and the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council are back a step after the Jeddah agreement was about to be signed last Thursday.
The stumbling block to find an internal political agreement in Yemen followed amendments proposed by the UAE, to retain its influence south, which faced the legitimacy of the Yemeni refusal, amid the continued strengthening of Saudi forces presence in Aden, in preparation for the announcement of the agreement.
According to Yemeni political sources close to the government, the postponement of the agreement, which was expected to be signed on Thursday or Friday, was thwarted by Emirati proposals on the draft submitted by Riyadh, through which Abu Dhabi sought to maintain some kind of influence and impose some restrictions on officials. Legitimacy, for not taking up positions in any new government.
According to the sources, legitimacy has been able to regain the initiative in recent days, by rejecting anything that would bring the Emirati political victory through negotiations, after they failed by force during the insurgency, carried out by Abu Dhabi-backed separatists in Aden.
The sources confirmed that “President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi, stressed that any agreement depends first on ending the rebellion against state institutions in Aden.”
The sources pointed out that the return of Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Interior Ahmad al-Maisari, along with Minister of Transport Saleh al-Jibwani, to the eastern city of Sayun, for the first time since they left Aden in August, came on the basis of a presidential directive, which also carried a letter from President Hadi, refusing to abandon the personalities, who stood in the face of UAE practices south during the past years.
Al-Maisari was Hadi’s first man in Aden until August, when he left the city and made his famous remarks, congratulating the UAE on its “overwhelming victory against us,” but at the same time stressed that the battle was continuing and that they were returning to the city. His return to Hadramout came after he spent the last period between Cairo and Riyadh, and also visited the Omani capital Muscat.
On the other hand, after the leaks and the joy shown by members of the so-called “Transitional Council,” that they have won during the Jeddah dialogue, the Council appeared in recent days, in a state of confusion, after he had announced that the agreement will be signed last Thursday, concurrently with the latter’s delegation moving from Jeddah to Riyadh, the negotiations returned to the narrow frameworks again, which reflected disappointment among the supporters of the Council.
Meanwhile, local sources in Aden confirmed that the Saudi forces are continuing to deploy in more than one facility within the city as part of a security plan being implemented by Riyadh in preparation for the announcement of the signing of the Jeddah agreement, which entitles the Saudis to play the role of guarantor to implement the agreement and supervisor. On the transition from theoretical to practical, especially in the security aspect, with regard to the city of Aden.
The Saudi deployment in Aden is one of the most prominent features of the transformation of the Jeddah dialogue between the Yemeni government and the separatists. This presence would remove the decision in the city from the Emiratis, who had the first say since they led the coalition’s influence south from the second half of 2015.
It is worth mentioning that the contents of the draft of the Jeddah agreement, was leaked last week, and stipulates in its most prominent content, the involvement of the “transitional council” in a new government, along with security and military steps, that would allow the return of the Yemeni government and parliament to Aden, and the integration of various security formations And military established by the UAE, in the Yemeni official frameworks (defense and interior).
