UAE: A united Yemeni front is needed to confront Houthi rebels‏

English version

اليمن العربي

The UAE said on Sunday that it supports Saudi Arabia’s efforts to unite Yemen’s southern separatists and the internationally recognized Yemeni government in combating the Houthi rebels.

Talks between the government and the Southern Transitional Council, STC, started last month in Jeddah as Saudi Arabia pushes to end recent fighting in Yemen’s southern provinces.

“We fully support Saudi Arabia's significant efforts in carrying out negotiations in Jeddah to confront the Houthi coup,” Dr Anwar Gargash, the UAE Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, said on Twitter.

Dr Gargash believes that a united front is needed in Yemen to combat the Houthi rebels.

It is vital that both sides show flexibility during the negotiations, Dr Gargash said, according to The National.

He said the outcome must be “cohesive and determined” when confronting the Houthis.

The Arab Coalition intervened in Yemen in March 2015 after the Houthis coup on the Yemeni government in 2014.

Last week, Riyadh said it "positively" viewed a truce proposed by the Houthis, two weeks after the rebels said they were halting drone and missile attacks against the kingdom.

"The truce announced in Yemen is perceived positively by the kingdom, as this is what it has always sought, and hopes it will be implemented effectively," vice defence minister Prince Khalid bin Salman said on Twitter.