Yemen's separatists declared on Sunday April 26 the autonomy of the war-torn southern part of the country, breaking the peace agreement with the government and complicating its long conflict with the Houthi rebels, who control much of the country. North.
The Southern Transition Council (STC) accused the government of not having fulfilled its obligations and of having "Conspired" against the cause of the South and declared that autonomy had started at midnight, on the night of Saturday to Sunday.
"The STC declares autonomy in the South from midnight on Saturday April 25, 2020, and an autonomy committee will begin its work on the basis of a list of tasks assigned by the Presidency of the Council"said the separatists in a statement.
The split between the ex-allies comes as the Saudi-led coalition, which supports the internationally recognized government in its battle against the Houthis, has extended a unilateral ceasefire aimed at curbing the Covid-19 pandemic. . Houthis have rejected the peace agreement and fighting continues in this war-torn country, which has resulted in what the United Nations has called the world's worst humanitarian disaster.
Tens of thousands of civilians have been killed in the past five years in the war between the government and Iranian-backed Houthi rebels. More than three million people have been displaced by the conflict, many of them in camps particularly at risk of the spread of diseases such as malaria and cholera.
A quickly lapsed sharing agreement
Separatists in southern Yemen, long mobilized for independence, signed a power-sharing deal in Ryad in November that ended a battle for the south that saw them take control of the country's second city , Aden.
However, the pact quickly lapsed due to the failure to implement key measures in time, including the formation of a new government including representatives of the southerners, as well as the reorganization of the military.
In April, Yemen reported its first case of Covid-19 in Hadramaut, a government-controlled province in the south, raising concerns about the spread of the disease.
At least 21 people were also killed in flash floods this month when the streets of Aden were swamped and houses destroyed.
