Yemeni authorities & separatists fail to establish power-sharing govt as deadline expires

The Yemeni government and southern separatists have failed to meet a deadline to establish a power-sharing government, AFP reported.

Yemen’s conflict erupted in 2014 when the government was forced out of the capital Sanaa by the Houthi rebels, triggering a Saudi-led military intervention. In August, on a separate front, southern secessionists seized control of the city of Aden, the internationally recognized government’s temporary capital.

Saudi Arabia brokered a power-sharing deal with the Southern Transitional Council (STC) under which the government would return to Aden. The Riyadh Agreement, signed on November 5, also stipulated the creation within 30 days of a new 24-member cabinet with equal representation for the southerners.

The two sides say they are committed to the agreement but have traded accusations over who is responsible for the failure to meet the deadline to form a new government.