Hadi meets Al-Zubaidi and his deputy in Riyadh
Yemen’s president Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi met in Riyadh on Thursday, with the president of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidroos Al-Zubaidi and his deputy, sheikh Hani Ben Brik along with the members of the STC delegation.
The first ever such meeting took place after more than two years of Hadi’s decision to dismiss Al-Zubaidi from his post as governor of Aden and Ben Brik as Minister of State.
They focused on the importance of unifying the southern ranks, especially after the signing of the Riyad Agreement.
Spokesman for the Southern Transitional Council, Nazar Haitham said in a tweet that the meeting also touched on “the southern cause, future of the South, aspirations of the Southerners and their right to self determination.”
They highly appreciated the role exerted by the Arab Coalition led by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in making the ‘Riyadh Agreement’ possible.” Haitham added.
It’s worth mentioning that the meeting has been marked by the absence of the government’s senior officials.
Yemeni Deputy Prime Minister Salem Al Khanbashi and STC representative Nasser Al Khabji signed on Tuesday the power-sharing deal in Riyadh at a ceremony attended by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammad Bin Salman; His Highness Sheikh Mohamed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces; and Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
The Saudi-brokered pact ends a months-long feud between the government and the STC and refocuses efforts on fighting Yemen’s Iran-allied Al Houthi militia.
