The southern port city of Aden has again emerged as a flash point this month as southern separatist fighters affiliated with the UAE clashed with loyalists of the internationally recognized (and Saudi-backed) president Abd Rabbu Mansur Hadi – successfully taking over much of the city and leaving scores dead.
With Saudi Arabia increasingly feeling international pressure to wrap up its four-year campaign, the infighting shows just how far Riyadh is from its objectives. Strategic ally Abu Dhabi, on the other hand, is keen to abandon the quagmire having announced plans to gradually pull out forces in June and hand control over to its local allies. (CONTINUED - 708 WORDS)
