Libya endorses Saudi push for dialogue amid escalation in Yemen
The western Libyan Government of National Unity (GNU) has endorsed Saudi Arabia’s push to create a “conducive environment” for dialogue to ease the escalation in Yemen, according to the Libyan Express on January 4th.
This comes after Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry urged all warring factions in southern Yemen to attend a “comprehensive conference in Riyadh to bring together all southern factions to discuss just solutions to the southern cause”, according to the BBC on January 3rd.
In an official statement, the GNU’s Foreign Ministry welcomed the initiative, which was conceived by the head of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) – the Saudi-led alliance formed to unite anti-Houthi factions – to bring together southern Yemeni political and social elements that nominally align with the PLC.
The ministry affirmed that Libya appreciates Saudi Arabia’s role in fostering dialogue and concentrating efforts towards regional de-escalation. It also emphasised that such initiatives facilitate the achievement of a comprehensive political settlement in Yemen.
The civil war in Yemen, which started in 2014, recently escalated after a UAE-backed separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), seized the strategically crucial and oil rich Hadramout province.
The takeover by the UAE-backed STC, which seeks to declare an independent state in the south of Yemen, highlights the conflicting interests held by Abu Dhabi and Riyadh, with the latter favouring a unified state.
The move has significantly flared tensions between the two Gulf states. More specifically, the STC’s recent capture of the Petrolmasila oil field elicited a cold response from Riyadh, who promptly closed Yemen’s airspace in response.
The STC claimed that the offensive was conducted in order to “restore stability” in the south. In contrast, PLC chief Rashad al-Alimi denounced it as a “rebellion” against the alliance and warned that the secessionist foray risks further fragmenting an already shattered Yemen.
Wolfgang Pusztai, a senior adviser at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy, told TNA that “due to the escalating situation in Yemen… a massive deterioration in relations between Saudi Arabia and the UAE is likely”, according to The New Arab plus agencies on December 23rd.
Libyan Express, BBC, Maghrebi.org, The New Arab plus agencies
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