Southern Yemeni leader stresses push for separate country at UN

Yemeni Southern Transitional Council head Aidarous al-Zubaidi said Friday that he will prioritize the establishment of a separate country as his nation engages in civil war.

Al-Zubaidi has a dual role in Yemeni politics — he is vice president of the country but also the leader of a separatist group that has joined the internationally recognized coalition government seated in the southern city of Aden.

His trip to the high-level leaders meeting of the U.N. General Assembly was aimed at amplifying the call for southern separatism, which has taken a backseat to discussions aimed at ending the wider war. Earlier this year, the head of the country’s internationally recognized government brushed aside the issue.