Maldivian govt. reaffirms support for Saudi-backed PLC in Yemeni conflict

The Government of Maldives, on Sunday, has reaffirmed its support for the internationally recognized legitimate Government of Yemen, the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), backed by Saudi Arabia.

The statement from the Maldivian government comes amidst rising tensions in the Middle Eastern country as fighting breaks out between the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-backed separatist movement, Southern Transitional Council (STC), which is seeking an independent state in south Yemen, launched a large-scale military offensive in the east of the country and rapidly took control of two provinces from government forces, the oil-rich Hadramawt province and Mahra province which borders Saudi Arabia. Saudi Arabia views STC's growing presence in these provinces as a threat to its national security. 

In Sunday’s statement, Maldivian Foreign Ministry said the government is closely following the developments in Yemen and reaffirmed its continued support for the internationally recognized legitimate Government of Yemen. 

Maldives also welcomed PLC’s call to hold comprehensive talks, in order to negotiate a political solution through dialogue, and welcomed Saudi Arabia’s initiative to host the dialogue in Riyadh, which the government said affirmed its commitment to Yemen’s security and stability and to advancing a peaceful solution through dialogue and diplomacy. 

Yemen has been embroiled in a complex, decade-long civil war that has fragmented the country, with multiple factions competing for power. The conflict began in September 2014, when the Iran-backed Houthi militia—originating in Yemen in the 1990s—seized the capital city, Sanaa, and rapidly took control of the government of then-President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi.

The Houthis currently control Sanaa, most of the northern and northwestern regions, the Red Sea coastline, and significant portions of the population, including areas bordering Saudi Arabia.

The internationally recognized Government of Yemen, the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), was established in April 2022 to manage the country’s affairs amid the ongoing civil war. Its primary objectives are to unify the anti-Houthi factions, restore government functions, and guide negotiations toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict.

The eight-member Council comprises representatives from a range of political and military groups, including the Southern Transitional Council (STC). However, deep internal divisions and competing interests among its members, particularly the STC’s push for an independent southern state, have largely undermined the Council’s effectiveness. Other factions continue to advocate for a unified Yemen.

Prior to unification in 1990, Yemen had been two nations, North Yemen and South Yemen.

Although UAE joined Saudi Arabia for the Saudi-led intervention in Yemen against the Houthis in 2015, there have been differences between the Saudi and Emirati approaches to Yemen, such as the UAE's support for the separatists of the STC.

UAE-backed STC controls much of Southern and Eastern Yemen, including Aden, Yemen's main southern commercial hub, which had previously been used by PLC as a temporary base. Meanwhile, PLC, the internationally recognized government of Yemen, exercises limited and fragmented control, estimated at roughly 10 percent of the country’s territory.