Preparations complete to implement Riyadh Agreement: Arab Coalition
A 24-member Yemeni Cabinet including STC expected to be announced soon
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — All necessary arrangements have been completed for expediting the implementation of an agreement signed last year between the Yemeni government and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), an official source at the Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen said on Thursday.
In November last year, the Yemeni government and the STC signed an agreement in Riyadh, ending a months-long feud between both sides to coordinate efforts on fighting the Iran-backed Houthi militia. The Yemeni sides had agreed to form a 24-member government including STC and other Yemeni political factions, the source said Thursday. The source also cited the completion of military and security plans to implement the security aspect of the Riyadh Agreement. Starting from Thursday, the coalition military observers will monitor the separation of military forces in the Yemeni province of Abyan and moving them to frontlines and to outside the temporary capital Aden, the source added in a statement carried by the Saudi Press Agency. “The alliance’s joint force command will continue to support security sources to undertake their essential tasks in preserving security and stability and fighting terrorist organizations,” the source said. The new Yemeni government will be announced upon the full implementation of the military aspect of the deal within a week, according to the source.