RIYADH, Jan. 3 (Xinhua) -- Saudi Arabia said on Saturday that it will host a conference here to bring together all southern factions in Yemen "to discuss just solutions to the southern cause."
The Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that the conference comes in response to a request by Rashad Al-Alimi, chairman of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, noting that the only way to resolve Yemen's southern cause is through dialogue within the framework of a comprehensive political solution in Yemen.
It added that the conference comes as part of Saudi Arabia's continued efforts to support and strengthen Yemen's security and stability and to provide a suitable environment for dialogue.
The situation in Yemen continued to escalate on Friday, when the Yemeni government launched a military operation against the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the eastern province of Hadramout. The STC subsequently announced the launch of a two-year transitional period, during which the council will administer the southern parts of the country, to be followed by a referendum on the independence of the south. ■
