Saudi Gazette report
RIYADH — Prince Khalid bin Salman on Saturday called on Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council to prioritize reason, unity, and the public interest by responding to Saudi-Emirati mediation efforts to end military escalation in eastern Yemen.

In a message addressed to the Yemeni people on X, the Saudi defense minister said the current phase requires restraint and wisdom, urging the STC to withdraw its forces from camps in Hadramout and Al-Mahrah and hand them over peacefully to the National Shield Forces and local authorities.

Prince Khalid said Saudi Arabia intervened in Yemen at the request of the legitimate government, assembling a coalition to restore state authority through Operations Decisive Storm and Restoring Hope.

He stressed that the liberation of southern governorates played a pivotal role in advancing those objectives and restoring Yemen’s territorial integrity.

The minister said the Kingdom has consistently treated the southern issue as a legitimate political cause that cannot be ignored, reduced to individuals, or exploited in conflicts that undermine its future.

He noted that Saudi Arabia hosted the Riyadh Conference and brokered the Riyadh Agreement, which ensured southern participation in governance and opened the door to a fair political settlement through dialogue rather than force.

Prince Khalid said the transfer of power decision strengthened national partnership and ended exclusion, while Saudi Arabia continued to provide economic aid, development projects, and humanitarian initiatives to ease the suffering of the Yemeni people.

He recalled sacrifices made by Saudi Arabia and coalition partners alongside Yemenis to liberate Aden and other regions, stressing that these sacrifices were intended to restore the state, not ignite new internal conflicts.

The defense minister warned that recent developments in Hadramout and Al-Mahrah since early December 2025 have fractured internal unity, weakened efforts against common enemies, and harmed the southern cause itself.

He praised southern leaders and groups that have supported de-escalation, contributed to social stability, and resisted dragging secure southern regions into unnecessary conflicts.

Prince Khalid reaffirmed that the southern issue will remain central to any comprehensive political settlement in Yemen and must be resolved through consensus, trust-building, and honoring commitments, not reckless actions.

Earlier on Saturday, Arab coalition spokesman Turki Al‑Maliki said any military movements undermining Saudi-Emirati mediation efforts would be dealt with immediately to protect civilians and support de-escalation, in response to a request from Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council head Rashad Al‑Alimi.