Yemen’s separatist movement has announced a constitution for an independent nation in the south and demanded other factions in the war-torn country accept the move. The announcement Friday marked an escalation of a confrontation that has pitted Gulf powerhouses Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates against each other. The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council depicted the announcement as a declaration of independence for the south. But it was not immediately clear if the move could be implemented or was largely symbolic. The STC’s seizure last month of two provinces in southern Yemen has prompted airstrikes from Saudi Arabia, threatening to unravel the coalition that has been fighting Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
