US supports Saudi Arabia's efforts to resolve dispute in Yemen's south: Official

Washington strongly supports Saudi Arabia’s effort to resolve the crisis in Yemen, a US State Department official said Monday.

The comments, in an e-mail to Al Arabiya English, came after the Arab Coalition announced a ceasefire between the Yemeni government and the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) after Saudi Arabia called for holding talks to discuss implementing the “Riyadh Agreement.”

For all the latest headlines follow our Google News channel online or via the app.

“We are aware of the reports and are monitoring the situation. We strongly support Saudi Arabia’s efforts to resolve the dispute in Yemen’s south,” the US official said.

The State Department official added that the US policy goals remain unchanged, which is “to work with our international partners to bring peace, prosperity, and security to Yemen.”

Over the weekend, the STC said that it seized control of Yemen’s island of Socotra, its government facilities, and its military bases, and deposed its governor.

Tensions have escalated between Yemen’s parties in April after the STC decided it would establish self-rule in Yemen’s southern regions under its control.

On Monday, the State Department official called on “all actors to respect Yemeni government institutions and the unity and territorial integrity of Yemen.”

Read more: Arab Coalition in Yemen calls for end to escalation in south

Separatist call for self-rule to have ‘catastrophic consequences’: Yemen govt