Separatists seize power in Aden

sana'a - The war in Yemen is taking a new turn now that southern separatists have seized power in the historic port city of Aden.

They have surrounded the presidential palace where the prime minister and other senior officials of the internationally recognized government cease. The politicians, who are under 'house arrest', want to flee to Saudi Arabia, where President Hadi also finds himself.

The separatists, who want to separate the south of Yemen, are backed by the United Arab Emirates, which together with the Saudis are fighting pro-Iranian rebels elsewhere in the country. That coalition of the usually loyal allies is now under pressure.

Saudi troops are stationed at the presidential palace in Aden, while the Emirates have helped the separatists with fighter planes.

Fighting between government troops and separatists has resulted in dozens of deaths in recent days. The Arab League calls for a quick cease-fire. Yemen is already the scene of the world's largest humanitarian crisis and can miss a new conflict as a toothache. The country is floating on the edge of a famine, while diseases such as cholera and diphtheria are becoming households.

South and North Yemen were two independent states until they were united in 1990. The current conflict exploded after President Hadi refused to dismiss his prime minister. The separatists accuse him of corruption.