Saudi-led Coalition Accuses UAE of Assisting Yemeni Separatist Leader's Evacuation

Saudi Coalition and Betrayal Allegations

The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has claimed that the United Arab Emirates (UAE) assisted in the evacuation of separatist leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who was removed from Yemen's presidential council and accused of treachery. A spokesperson for the coalition stated that al-Zubaidi, the leader of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STS), fled Aden on Tuesday evening, boarding a boat bound for Somaliland.

Subsequently, he was transported on a cargo plane to Abu Dhabi via Mogadishu, under the oversight of UAE officers. In response, the STS denied the allegations, asserting that al-Zubaidi continues to operate from Aden, despite the coalition suggesting that the separatist leader has sought refuge in an unknown location.

Allegations and Confrontations in Southern Yemen

The coalition also accused al-Zubaidi of relocating STS forces from bases in Aden to his home province of al-Dahle and of launching airstrikes against them. The STS characterized these attacks, which resulted in four deaths, as "unjustified" and "incompatible" with calls for dialogue with the internationally recognized government overseen by the presidential council and supported by Saudi Arabia.

Recently, southern Yemen has been on the brink of a new conflict, with factions fighting among themselves and the war between Saudi Arabia and the UAE intensifying. Forces aligned with the STS have taken control of a significant portion of southern Yemen, aiming to revive an independent state.