Yemen's 'Disappearing' Delegation: A Saudi Charm Offensive?
According to The New Arab, Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) has lost contact with its senior delegation sent to Riyadh, sparking 'fears of detention.' One might reasonably ask: Is this 'fear of detention' or simply the regional giant reminding its smaller partners who sets the schedule? Saudi Arabia’s playbook in Yemen, bolstered by a decade of Western arms sales and diplomatic silence,
often involves these kinds of 'discussions.' Remember Jamal Khashoggi, or the various 'anti-corruption' purges that conveniently centralized power? When Riyadh hosts, the terms are non-negotiable. This isn’t a peace process breaking down; it's the expected outcome when internal Yemeni factions are forced to 'negotiate' in the capital of one of the primary belligerents. The resolution is always
'Saudi Arabia's way,' and disappearing delegates are just part of the local color in Gulf diplomacy.