After weeks of tension between Riyadh and the United Arab Emirates, the move comes due to the failed attempt by Abu Dhabi-backed separatists to take control of the country’s south
The Prime Minister of Salim Saleh bin Buriek, resigned and was replaced by Foreign Minister Shaya Mohsen Zindani, announced the country’s presidential body, supported by Saudi Arabia.
The measure comes after weeks of tension between Riyadh and the due to the failed attempt by Abu Dhabi-backed separatists to take control of most of southern Yemen.
The offensive was repelled by attacks from Saudis and allies on the ground, which forced the United Arab Emirates to withdraw its troops from the country before Saudi Arabia took steps to reinforce its influence over the internationally recognized government.
Prime Minister Salim Saleh bin Buriek met with Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi and “tendered his resignation” to “pave the way for the formation of a new government,” according to a statement carried by the official Saba news agency on Thursday evening.
The presidential office announced to state media that Foreign Minister Shaya Mohsen Zindani “has been appointed prime minister and tasked with forming a government.”
Yemeni separatists, backed by the United Arab Emirates, surprised many in early January with the announcement of a two-year transition period for the creation of an autonomous state in the south of the country.
These claims marked a turning point in this complex conflict between the government recognized by the international community and the Huthi rebels supported by Iran, in the poorest country on the Arabian Peninsula.
Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, traditional Gulf allies although increasingly distant, oppose these rebels but support different factions within the Yemeni government.
*With AFP
