Aden Standoff Could be Headed for Solution

The Reuters news agency has cited “three sources familiar with the negotiations” as saying that talks to end a standoff between former allies in the war against Houthi rebels in Yemen could soon bear fruit. The former allies – government forces kicked out of the capital Sanaa by the Houthis, and southern separatists – have been fighting over the southern coastal city of Aden since August. The government troops are backed primarily by Saudi Arabia, which has been overseeing the talks, while the separatists are backed mostly by the United Arab Emirates. The Saudis and the Emiratis were the backbone of a coalition fighting against the Iran-backed Houthis, but the UAE has mostly pulled out, seeing Yemen as an unwinnable war. The infighting over Aden was no help to coalition unity. A compromise proposal for the city reportedly would see Saudi troops take it over.