Marrakech – Morocco has renewed its firm support for Yemen’s national unity and territorial integrity amid escalating tensions in the war-torn country, calling for a political settlement rooted in dialogue and international legitimacy.
In a statement released on Friday, the Moroccan Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Rabat is closely monitoring recent developments in Yemen, as the country faces renewed risks of fragmentation following separatist moves in the south.
“In conformity with the constants of international law and the principles of good neighborliness and respect for the integrity and sovereignty of states,” noted the statement, Morocco “renews its firm support for the national unity of the sister Republic of Yemen and its sovereignty over its entire territory.”
The statement comes as Yemen enters a new phase of political uncertainty after the Southern Transitional Council (STC) announced plans to pursue independence.
The UAE-backed group declared a two-year transitional period toward establishing an independent state, warning that independence would be declared “immediately” if dialogue is rejected or if attacks against its forces continue.
Tensions have sharply escalated in recent weeks, particularly in Hadramout province, near Yemen’s border with Saudi Arabia.
The STC has expanded its control over large swathes of southern Yemen, including resource-rich areas bordering both Saudi Arabia and Oman. According to local officials, seven people were killed, and more than 20 were wounded after airstrikes targeted STC positions in al-Khashaa.
Morocco’s foreign ministry stressed its “rejection of any attack on Yemen’s sovereignty and territorial integrity,” while reiterating support for “all initiatives aimed at calming the situation, in the interest of security and stability for all countries in the region.”
Former allies drift into rivalry
The unfolding crisis highlights deeper regional fault lines, as former coalition partners Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates now find themselves on opposing sides of Yemen’s southern question. Riyadh has accused Abu Dhabi of arming separatist forces and encouraging their advance across southern territories.
In response, the Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on what it described as “external military support” at Mukalla port, targeting weapons shipments allegedly transferred from UAE ports without authorization.
The Yemen Presidential Leadership Council, backed by Saudi Arabia, subsequently canceled its defense agreement with the UAE and issued a 24-hour ultimatum for Emirati forces to withdraw from Yemeni territory.
The UAE confirmed on Friday that its last troops had departed Yemen following the deadline, stating that it “remains committed to dialogue, de-escalation and internationally supported processes.”
The STC’s announcement has revived fears of a return to the former South Yemen state, which existed between 1967 and 1990. STC President Aidaros Alzubidi warned that independence would be declared “immediately” should dialogue fail or southern forces come under renewed attack.
In light of these developments, Morocco called on “all concerned parties to prioritize dialogue with a view to reaching a comprehensive political solution, under the auspices of international legitimacy, capable of preserving the unity and sovereignty of the Republic of Yemen and responding to the aspirations of its brotherly people to a dignified life and lasting stability.”
Saudi Arabia has meanwhile proposed a comprehensive conference in Riyadh bringing together southern Yemeni factions to explore political solutions. The Gulf kingdom’s foreign ministry urged all parties to engage in dialogue aimed at finding “just solutions to the southern cause.”
The latest escalation threatens to further fracture a country already divided between Iran-backed Houthis controlling the north, including the capital Sanaa, and a patchwork of competing authorities in the south. Since the conflict erupted in 2014, Yemen has descended into one of the world’s worst humanitarian crises.
Rabat’s statement reasserts a doctrinal constant of Moroccan diplomacy. The North African country has long championed the primacy of state unity, territorial integrity, and internationally recognized sovereignty as non-negotiable pillars of regional order.
This orientation is shaped by Morocco’s sovereignty doctrine, which in turn is informed by the country’s experience confronting separatism in its southern provinces. On the regional front, this stance positions Rabat as a normative stabilizer that privileges dialogue over fragmentation and mediation over coercion.
The Yemen standoff has also drawn international concern, with the United States urging restraint, warning that tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE risk deepening instability, further complicating already fragile pathways toward a durable political settlement.
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