BEIRUT — The irony in the conflict raging in southern Yemen between the internationally recognized government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) is that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia — the coalition leading the battle against the Houthis — are both seen as parties to the war, be it directly or indirectly, and now they are sponsoring talks to end the violent power struggle in the country. Clashes between the STC and government troops began in August; the STC took control of Aden on Aug. 10
These talks came as Riyadh and Abu Dhabi shared influence in southern Yemen at the military level through their proxies fighting on the ground. This influence was further legitimized at the political level on the negotiating table that gathered the Yemeni parties in the Saudi city of Jeddah and kicked off Sept. 10.