UAE calls for dialogue to end violence in Yemen’s Aden

By Hussein Elkabany

ABU DHABI (AA) – The United Arab Emirates (UAE) on Saturday called for a “reasonable dialogue” to end armed clashes in Yemen’s southern city of Aden, according to the official WAM news agency.

Dozens were killed in clashes between presidential guards of the internationally-recognized government and the UAE-backed Security Belt forces since Wednesday.

The violence erupted after a call by the separatist Southern Transitional Council for loyalists to topple the Yemeni government, which is currently seated in Aden.

In a statement, the UAE Foreign Ministry called for “calm, de-escalation and maintaining the security and safety of Yemeni citizens”.

The statement urged all parties to engage in “a responsible and serious dialogue to end the differences and work on unity in this delicate phase while maintaining security and stability”.

The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition that has launched a massive air campaign in 2015 against Iran-aligned Houthi rebels, who overran much of Yemen, including capital Sanaa, a year earlier.

“The UAE, as an active partner in the Saudi-led Arab coalition, is exerting all efforts to calm and de-escalate the situation in Aden and in urging to rally efforts against the Houthi coup and its repercussions,” the ministry said.