The Saudi-led Arab coalition said that implementation of the Riyadh Agreement aimed at reuniting the legitimate Yemeni government and Southern Transitional Council (STC) would start on Thursday with a troop redeployment in the south ahead of announcing a new power-sharing government.
The agreement, first announced in November and revived in July, was brokered by Riyadh to end a standoff between the government and STC.
The coalition said in a statement it would on Thursday start supervising the separation of forces in Abyan governorate to return to battlefronts with the Iran-backed Houthi militias and from inside Aden port city to outside the governorate.
It said consensus had been reached on a new cabinet of 24 ministers, including from STC and Yemeni "political components", and that the government would be announced "as soon as implementation of the military aspect is completed within one week".
Head of the STC Aidroos Al-Zubaidi said: “The Arab coalition’s efforts, under the leadership of Saudi Arabia, reflect its keenness on the security and stability of the region.”
The Riyadh Agreement is a real opportunity to achieve peace, he told Asharq Al-Awsat.
“The council greatly appreciates the efforts of the Saudi leadership in supporting liberated Yemeni regions with development programs,” he added.
