Yemeni politicians meet in Riyadh after dissolving a southern separatist group

The separatist demands in southern Yemen are one element in a complex civil war that has gripped the county since 2014, when Houthi rebels backed by Iran descended from their northern stronghold and seized the capital, Sanaa, forcing the internationally recognized government to flee first southward, then into exile in Saudi Arabia. “This meeting expresses a unified southern will, represented by southern leaders from all segments of society and governorates, seeking a just, secure and guaranteed solution to our cause,” the politicians said in a statement following their meeting. Saudi Arabia had bombed the positions of the now-dissolved Southern Transitional Council after the separatist group refused to withdraw from areas it seized in its December offensive, including Hadramout on the border with Saudi Arabia.