Pompeo: Washington 'concerned' about Yemen separatists

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Tuesday that Washington was 'concerned' over the Southern Transitional Council, a separatist group, declaring self-rule in Yemen's south, warning such actions threatened efforts to revive talks between the Yemeni government and Houthi rebels.

"Such unilateral actions only exacerbate instability in Yemen," Mr Pompeo said in a statement. "They are especially unhelpful at a time when the country is threatened by Covid-19 and also threaten to complicate the efforts of the United Nations Special Envoy to revive political negotiations between the government and the Houthi rebels."

The Saudi-led coalition has announced a unilateral truce prompted by a UN plea to focus on the coronavirus pandemic. The Houthis have not accepted it and violence has continued.

Yemen's internationally recognised government warned of "catastrophic consequences" after the STC on Sunday declared emergency rule in southern governorates including Aden, interim seat of the government that was ousted from power in the capital, Sanaa, by the Houthi group in late 2014.

"We call on the STC and the Republic of Yemen government to re-engage in the political process provided under the Riyadh Agreement," Mr Pompeo said.

Yemen announced its first two deaths from coronavirus on Wednesday.

On Monday, the Saudi-led coalition engaged in Yemen urged the STC to rescind its move, saying it was an "escalatory action" at a time when all parties should focus on confronting the novel coronavirus.

Yemen has been mired in violence that has killed more than 100,000 since the coalition intervened in March 2015 on the side of Abdrabbu Mansour Hadi's government. There has been military stalemate for years and the Houthis hold most big urban centres.

The STC has long sought self-rule in the south and accuses Mr Hadi's government of mismanagement and corruption, a charge it denies.

The Secretary of State also said on Wednesday that Iraqi leaders need to put aside a sectarian quota system and make compromises to help the formation of a government as well help the relationship between Washington and Baghdad.

Earlier this month, Iraq's president named intelligence chief Mustafa Al Kadhimi as prime minister-designate, the third person tapped to lead Iraq within 10 weeks as it struggles to replace a government that fell last year after months of deadly protests.

Speaking at a news conference at the State Department, Mr Pompeo said the US was watching closely as Mr Al Kadhimi entered the third week of trying to form his government.

"The Iraqi government, too, must heed the call from many elements of Iraqi society to bring all armed groups under state control, and we welcome steps that have been taken in the past days in that direction," Mr Pompeo said.

Ties between Washington and Baghdad have been strained as the US said it was disappointed that Iraqi forces have failed to protect the US forces stationed in Iraq. They have come under multiple rocket attacks this year alone, for which the US blames Iran-backed militia.

In March, David Schenker, the State Department's top diplomat for the Middle East, said Washington was "enormously disappointed" with the performance of the Iraqi government in fulfilling its obligations to protect US-led coalition forces and that the issue remained a point of contention.

Mr Pompeo also said on Wednesday that the US has caught no sight of North Korean leader Kim Jong Un and is watching reports about his health amid speculation that he is either very sick or dead.

He said  there was a real risk of famine in the country amid the coronavirus outbreak.

North Korean media has not reported on Mr Kim's whereabouts since he presided over a meeting on April 11, provoking speculation about his health and raising concerns about instability in the nuclear-armed country.

"We haven't seen him. We don't have any information to report today, we're watching it closely," Mr Pompeo told Fox News after being asked about conflicting reports about Mr Kim's health.