As avid followers of Yemen's political affairs, the Peaceful Revolution Youth Council has closely monitored the recent political settlement agreement signed in Riyadh between the Yemeni government and the separatist Southern Transitional Council.

This agreement was forged as a response to the STC's coup, which was carried out with the backing of the United Arab Emirates in August of last year.

While welcoming any political settlement that preserves the independence, sovereignty, and exclusive control of power and arms by the Yemeni state, enables it to regain its full, unencumbered authority over the entire national territory, and monopolizes power and weapons, the council considers the UAE, which financed and established an armed faction opposed to the state, as unable to be a neutral party in this agreement. Yemenis and others cannot be reassured by interference in the sovereign military, security, and political decision-making of the Republic of Yemen.

Hence, the council believes that the failure to hold the UAE accountable and assign it full responsibility for its involvement in the coup, the killing of Yemeni soldiers, human rights violations, the shutting down of airports and ports, blocking the government from exporting oil and gas, and denying legitimate authority for the independent management of Yemen's civil and military affairs, is tantamount to rewarding the crime of the coup.

Moreover, it indicates the beginning of a new phase of fragile settlements that will only perpetuate an endless cycle of conflicts without achieving any peace or stability in Yemen. Such settlements cannot be trusted to pave the way for building the federation of Yemen that the Yemeni people aspired to and sacrificed for.

In light of this, the council firmly stresses that any settlements reached outside the constitutional framework and the three points of reference are illegitimate and do not reflect the collective will of the Yemeni people. The council cautions against striking any deals with the Houthis or any other militias, irrespective of their religious, regional, or political affiliations, that run contrary to the overarching interests of the Yemeni people.

In light of the current situation, the council deems it paramount to restore national autonomy as a prerequisite for reclaiming the Yemeni state and defeating the Houthi coup. Consequently, the council firmly opposes all the provisions outlined in the agreement's annexes, which granted Saudi Arabia and the UAE the power to control and dominate Yemen's political decision-making and intervene blatantly in its military and security affairs. Such actions are unprecedented in international relations, and the council regards them as a type of occupation, urging Yemenis to reject and resist them using all legitimate forms of resistance against the occupier.

Issued by:
Peaceful Revolution Youth Council
November 6, 2019