Yemen, UAE interior ministers hold talks in Abu Dhabi

By Shukri Hussein

ADEN, Yemen (AA) - Yemeni Interior Minister Ahmed al-Maysari met with Emirati counterpart Saif bin Zayed in Abu Dhabi, with whom he discussed bilateral security coordination, Yemen’s official SABA news agency reported on Thursday.

At the meeting, which took place Wednesday evening, the two men reportedly discussed the need for greater coordination between their two ministries, especially in regards to areas of Yemen recently “liberated” from the Houthi rebel group.

According to SABA, al-Maysari hailed the UAE’s ongoing support for Yemen’s internationally-recognized government against the Houthis.

Al-Maysari arrived in Abu Dhabi on Wednesday for an official visit.

Al-Maysari’s visit comes shortly after he told a U.S. radio broadcaster that UAE forces had “occupied” Yemen’s port city of Aden, which since 2015 has served as a temporary headquarters for Yemen’s government.

In a recent interview with the broadcaster, al-Maysari had said that Yemeni government officials were unable to enter the city without the consent of the UAE, which is responsible for security in parts of Yemen recently recaptured from Houthi rebels.

Some Yemeni government officials have accused the UAE of arming and funding militia groups -- including the Hadhrami and Shabwani Brigades -- inside “liberated” Yemeni territory.

Impoverished Yemen has been racked by violence since 2014, when the Houthis overran much of the country, including capital Sanaa, forcing the government to set up an alternative capital in Aden.

The conflict escalated in 2015 when Saudi Arabia and its Sunni-Arab allies -- including the UAE -- launched a wide-ranging military campaign in Yemen aimed at rolling back Houthi gains.