Al-Alimi requests that a comprehensive southern conference be held in Riyadh
In a significant political move aimed at strengthening national consensus and unifying the home front, Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, Chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, announced that the Council has submitted a formal request to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to host and sponsor a comprehensive southern conference in Riyadh. This request, addressed to the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud, and His Royal Highness Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz, affirms the Kingdom's pivotal role in supporting Yemen's stability.
Al-Alimi affirmed in his statements that this step comes in response to appeals from southern political and social groups, and in an effort to unify their ranks under the umbrella of legitimacy. He pointed out that the southern issue constitutes a fundamental and pivotal pillar in the process of building a modern Yemeni state, stressing that the right of the people of the southern governorates to a fair political and economic solution is indisputable, and must take into account the historical and social dimensions that the region has experienced.
A political and historical context for unifying efforts
This call comes at a sensitive time for Yemen, as the Presidential Leadership Council, formed in Riyadh in April 2022, seeks to unify all forces opposed to the Houthi project. The southern governorates hold significant strategic and military weight in the Yemeni equation. Since the signing of the Riyadh Agreement, Saudi Arabia has been making concerted efforts to bridge the divide between the various southern factions and groups, aiming to integrate them into state institutions and focus efforts on retaking the capital, Sana'a, and achieving comprehensive peace.
The request to host the conference in Riyadh reflects the desire to create a comprehensive dialogue platform that includes all southern factions, including the Southern Transitional Council and the rest of the components, parties and social figures, to ensure that no party is excluded, and to reach a unified vision about the future of the south within the final political settlement of the Yemeni crisis.
Saudi Arabia's pivotal role and rejection of the language of force
The Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council praised the sincere and brotherly role of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, describing Riyadh's hosting of this conference as a natural extension of the Kingdom's supportive stances towards Yemen and its people throughout various stages. Political circles view Saudi sponsorship as a fundamental guarantee for the success of any Yemeni-Yemeni dialogue, given the trust that the Saudi leadership enjoys among the various parties.
In a related context, Al-Alimi emphasized the Yemeni leadership's commitment to protecting civil peace, categorically rejecting the policy of imposing a fait accompli by force or using weapons to achieve narrow political gains. He explained that the only way to resolve the southern issue and other national issues lies in constructive dialogue, genuine partnership, and agreement on a comprehensive national framework that guarantees rights and freedoms and establishes a new phase of stability and development, far removed from peripheral conflicts that only serve the enemies of the Yemeni state.
