"We hold the Transitional Council accountable for the consequences of its refusal to abide by the Riyadh agreement under the agreed time schedule. We believe that the refusal to give up weapons; and the moves aimed at preventing committees, dealing with deal implementation, from fulfilling their goals; as well as the refusal to withdraw forces in compliance with the agreement — all this makes the disruption of the Riyadh agreement possible, and shows the intention to do so", Al-Hadhrami said, as quoted by the Foreign Ministry on Twitter.
The internationally recognized government, headed by President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, and the Southern Transitional Council signed the peace deal, aimed at putting an end to the military confrontation, in Riyadh in November. Apart from other things, it envisioned that the secessionists should return facilities and state institutions, which they had previously seized in Yemeni's south, to the government.
In August, separatists seized state institutions and military bases from governmental forces in the port city of Aden, which was declared a provisional capital of Yemen after the rebel Houthi movement took control of the northern part of the country. Prior to that, separatists and the central government used to be allied against the Houthis.
Yemen's south seeks independence and return of the status quo that existed prior to 1990 when North Yemen and South Yemen united into one country.