UAE smuggled Yemen separatist out of country: Saudis
Saudi Arabia accused the United Arab Emirates of smuggling out of the country a separatist leader wanted for treason in Yemen and flew him to Abu Dhabi.
The fact that the UAE did not immediately react to this claim further increases the tension between neighboring countries in the Arabian Peninsula due to the deterioration of their partnership in the years-long war in Yemen.
The Saudi military statement claimed that Southern Transitional Council leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi fled to Somalia by boat from Yemen.
In a statement made on Thursday, it was stated that UAE authorities later flew al-Zubaidi to Abu Dhabi, the capital of the Emirates.
The UAE has been the biggest supporter of the council, known as the STC, which has sparked conflict between Saudi Arabia and the Emirates in recent days after STC fighters appeared to be preparing to leave Yemen by advancing on two governorates.
Major General Turki al-Malki’s Saudi statement also included stating that a major general in the UAE was involved in Al Zubaidi’s alleged escape and identifying his alias; This was something quite unusual in the typical club world of Gulf Arab relations.
It was also claimed that the Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft used in the operation were used in “conflict zones” such as Ethiopia, Libya and Somalia. These routes are where the Emirati military has been accused of channeling weapons in the past.
The UAE denies bringing weapons into these areas.
The Emirate’s foreign ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The STC also did not immediately acknowledge the claim and said al-Zubaidi remained in Aden, where allied forces against Iran-backed Houthi rebels have been gathering for years since the rebels captured Yemen’s capital Sanaa.
South Yemen had been governed by the Presidential Leadership Council, which included Al Zubaidi and others, since 2022.
On Wednesday, the leadership council expelled al-Zubaidi and charged him with treason, apparently after he refused to fly to Saudi Arabia for talks.
It marked the latest pushback against the STC by Saudi Arabia, which recently launched airstrikes on the group and an arms shipment the kingdom said came from the UAE.
The war in Yemen has killed more than 150,000 people, including combatants and civilians, and created one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.
The Houthis have also launched attacks on shipping due to the Israel-Hamas war in the Gaza Strip, disrupting a vital route for global trade.
The United States, which had previously praised Saudi-Emirati efforts to end the crisis over the separatists, has launched airstrikes on the Houthi rebels under both President Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
Saudi Arabia’s foreign minister met with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio in Washington on Wednesday.
This latest accusation will further strain ties between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, OPEC members and neighbors who are increasingly competing over economic issues and regional policies, especially in the Red Sea region.
