Yemen’s southern separatists have seized control of the strategic island of Socotra, further undermining the government, which is battling to defeat the Huthi rebels firmly entrenched in the north. The island, located off the Horn of Africa about 350 kilometres (220 miles) from Yemen, lies close to important shipping routes, and with its unique flora and fauna, is sometimes referred to as “the Galapagos of the Indian Ocean”. It has largely been spared the violence that has ravaged mainland Yemen, where the government and a Saudi-led military coalition have been battling the Iran-backed Huthi rebels for more than five years.