Omani Foreign Minister Badr Al Busaidi visited Riyadh on Wednesday for talks with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan on the developments in Yemen, which have raised concern across the region.
Oman's Foreign Ministry said the meeting between the ministers “addressed efforts to contain the escalation of violence and ways to support the political process aimed at addressing the root causes of the crisis”.
Tension has risen in recent weeks after the military takeover of Mahra and Hadhramaut, which share a 700km border with Saudi Arabia, by the Southern Transitional Council. The STC is the largest faction within the forces of the ruling Presidential Leadership Council, led by Rashad Al Alimi.
A Saudi strike on Emirati vehicles on Tuesday, divisions in the country's governing body and the UAE’s withdrawal of its counter-terrorism personnel have put the nation's future in the spotlight.
In Riyadh, Mr Al Busaidi and Prince Faisal discussed “achieving a comprehensive and sustainable settlement that preserves the sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen over its security and stability, while also taking into account the aspirations of its people and the higher national security interests of neighbouring countries and the rest of the region”, Oman's Foreign Ministry said.
Oman has played a vital mediation role in Yemen since Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, forcing the government to flee south. A Saudi-led coalition, including the UAE, intervened at the request of the government to counter the Houthis, who control most of the north. The withdrawal of UAE forces from Yemen has also raised concerns about internationally backed efforts to counter terror groups there.
The US ambassador Steve Fagin met Mr Al Alimi on Wednesday to discuss “the importance of Yemen to regional security as well as strengthening bilateral co-operation in countering the Houthis and other terrorist threats, including Al Qaeda and ISIS”, the US embassy said.
Gulf countries have called for calm and restraint following the escalation in recent days. Bahrain, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait said they were monitoring the situation closely, highlighting the important role played by Saudi Arabia and the UAE in supporting “stability and security” in Yemen.
Bahrain expressed its “confidence in the leadership of the kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates and their ability to contain any differences in viewpoints within the framework of a unified Gulf”.
Qatar and Kuwait commended statements issued by the UAE and Saudi Arabia, which reflected “a commitment to prioritising the interests of the region, strengthening the principles of good neighbourliness and adhering to the foundations and principles upon which the GCC Charter is based”, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said.
Beyond the Gulf, Egypt said it was confident that the UAE and Saudi Arabia would approach the recent developments “wisely”, adding that it will continue to work with all sides towards de-escalation.
Jordan's Foreign Ministry said it held in high regard the “wisdom of the leaderships of the sisterly kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates in addressing the situation in Yemen”, which reflects their keenness to preserve Yemen's security and interests.
The STC, which is seeking to re-establish a separate state in southern Yemen, said on Wednesday that “the south does not harbour any hostility towards any country in the region or its Arab surroundings, especially the kingdom of Saudi Arabia, with which the south has deep and long-standing historical ties”.
The statement by the group's National Assembly did not directly address calls by the Saudi-led coalition and Mr Al Alimi for the group to withdraw from the southern provinces of Hadhramaut and Al Mahar that it took over militarily in recent weeks. Instead, it said the STC would “stand in the face of internal and external threats” that threaten the sovereignty of Yemen's south.
The STC condemned the Saudi-led coalition strike on the Mukalla port as a “direct attack on the south” that “cannot be justified under any security pretext”. It also said the attack on the port, which is civilian infrastructure, was a “flagrant violation of international humanitarian law”.
The STC said it held Mr Al Alimi “and those behind him and those who provide him with political cover” responsible. It named the Al Islah party, a Muslim Brotherhood affiliate, as one of those involved.
Mr Al Alimi declared a state of emergency in Yemen and called for the expulsion of the STC from areas in which it is operating. He also said that he sought to cancel the joint defence agreement with the UAE.
The STC statement repeated criticisms of the PLC president for what it called his “unilateral” decisions that contravened the principles of partnership and consensus on which the PLC is based.
This is the deepest rift in the PLC since its formation in Riyadh in 2021, and has raised questions about its future. The STC holds three of the council's eight seats and aspires to declare a separate and independent Yemeni state, as it was before unification in 1990.
Mr Al Alimi defended his actions in a statement released after a meeting with the US ambassador, saying his presidential decrees were issued “to protect civilians, halt violations and support the de-escalation efforts”.
