Yemen: Aden clashes complicate Saudi-UAE, local alliances

Armed clashes over control of Aden’s International Airport signal continued tension between rival factions in southern Yemen. Initial reports focused on a potential crisis between Saudi Arabia and the UAE (see article on page 4), and tensions have persisted after Sudanese forces, under orders from Riyadh, took over the airport. But the mid-February clashes were also symptomatic of the very complex challenges local factions pose to stability in this strategically vital province.