Yemen separatist leader visits Saudi Arabia for talks on Aden port standoff

The leader of southern Yemeni separatists is in Saudi Arabia for talks over a standoff in Aden port between the separatists and Yemen’s Saudi-backed government, who had been allies under a Sunni Muslim military coalition.

The head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) Aidaroos al-Zubaidi arrived in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah late on Tuesday.

Riyadh, the coalition leader, called for a summit after the separatists took over Aden, the interim seat of the government, on August 10. The ousted Yemeni government and coalition partner the United Arab Emirates traded blame over the crisis late on Tuesday, Reuters said.

The separatists extended their grip on the south on Tuesday by seizing government military camps in nearby Abyan.