Thread by @SanaaCenter

THREAD: Our Researcher @hu_rdman writes how the #UN must take a proactive approach in addressing "the southern issue" so as to pave the way for an all-inclusive peace agreement in #Yemen, offering four main recommendations on how the UN can achieve that.

sanaacenter.org/publications/a…

"The southern issue" is shorthand for the political and economic fallout from the 1994 civil war in #Yemen that created inequities and a sense of discrimination among southerners that has weakened the social fabric and strengthened identity-based separatist movements.

The #RiyadhAgreement reached in 2019 has helped create an opportune moment to support and transform a political agreement that deescalates hostilities and tension in southern governorates into a more sustainable and comprehensive arrangement for all parties concerned.

The #RiyadhAgreement is still politically effective for 2 main reasons:
1- It placed #SaudiArabia as mediator, which has the political & military clout to steer the behavior of both #Hadi & #STC.
2- The agreement addressed several underlying core issues feeding Yemen's conflict

Including southern interests has become necessary to achieve peace in #Yemen, and the #UN’s reticence to approach the southern issue in an independent and in-depth manner appears inconsistent with its vital role in Yemen’s war and peace tracks. Southerners’ views are not uniform.

There's room for #UN engagement in the South, particularly if it can play an active part in ensuring the success and development of the #RiyadhAgreement. Dividing authority between the #STC &GoY-loyal forces makes the accord a more inclusive & sustainable transitional settlement.

Supporting this transformation will, in the short- and medium- terms, create a foundational government in the South with enough political momentum to enter comprehensive peace negotiations in #Yemen.