The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has alleged the United Arab Emirates helped smuggle a separatist leader out of the country after he was expelled from Yemen's presidential council and accused of treason.
A coalition spokesman stated that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), fled Aden on Tuesday night in a boat to Somaliland. He was then reportedly flown by a cargo aircraft to Abu Dhabi via Mogadishu with UAE officers overseeing the operation.
There was no immediate comment from the UAE or the STC. The STC, however, insisted that Zubaidi was still operational from Aden, countering coalition reports that he had fled to an unknown location.
The coalition also accused Zubaidi of relocating STC forces and conducting airstrikes in response that reportedly resulted in four fatalities. The STC deemed these strikes as unjustified and inconsistent with calls for dialogue from Yemen's internationally recognized government.
Coalition spokesman Maj Gen Turki al-Malki revealed that Zubaidi and associates fled from Aden's port aboard a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged passenger ship, eventually moving to Berbera in Somaliland, where an aircraft awaited them. The aircraft allegedly disabled its identification systems before landing in Abu Dhabi, thus raising questions about Zubaidi's status.
This incident highlights rising tensions in southern Yemen, where factions aligned against the Iran-backed Houthi movement are now clashing, underlining a rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE. STC forces have increasingly sought control in the region, prompting Saudi warnings over national security threats as they push opposition forces out.
In light of recent events, Saudi Arabia accused the UAE of exerting pressure on its allies and called for the withdrawal of all Emirati forces, further complicating an already volatile situation marked by military strikes and shifting allegiances.
