An announcement on a final agreement in indirect talks between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC) under the auspices of Saudi Arabia is expected on Thursday, Yemeni political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.
The talks in the Saudi Red Sea city of Jeddah are aimed at putting an end to the differences between the two sides.
The sources said that the signing of the agreement between representatives of the legitimacy and the STC is expected to be attended by the UN special envoy for Yemen, Martin Griffiths, and ambassadors of states sponsoring the political process in Yemen.
They said that the final draft, named the “Jeddah Agreement,” has been able to settle the differences between the legitimate government and the STC amid guarantees on the implementation of the agreement under the monitoring of a joint committee led by Riyadh.
Asharq Al-Awsat learned from informed sources that the final draft includes a deal on the formation of a new government and a special committee, with a membership equally divided between the STC and the Arab Coalition, in order to monitor the performance of the cabinet and supervise it.
The agreement also stipulates stopping the work of all attaches operating in Yemen’s embassies and restructuring diplomatic jobs and undersecretaries working in government ministries.
According to the same sources, the two sides have also agreed that all state revenues shall be deposited at the Central Bank in Aden.
The legitimate government and STC representatives meeting in Jeddah also discussed the reshaping of the security situation, and considered the STC a legitimate force in the south of the country and as a side representing the south of Yemen in any peace negotiations, the sources said.
The success of the ongoing dialogue between representatives of the two sides is expected to end a crisis that started last August when STC seized control of Aden and neighboring provinces following days of fighting with the government forces.
