The political crisis in Yemen got worse on Wednesday when Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), did not go on a flight to Riyadh for important talks. This made it even harder to stop the growing conflict between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Zubaidi’s absence left the negotiations uncertain.
Phone: YEMEN
The talks were supposed to deal with recent military actions in southern Yemen and the problems within the Saudi-backed group fighting the Houthi rebels, who are linked to Iran.
The STC later said Zubaidi was in Aden handling security and military matters, but no one could independently confirm his exact location.
A top STC official claimed that part of the group’s delegation had reached Riyadh and that the talks would still happen. They were meant to focus on a “South-South dialogue” supported by Saudi Arabia. However, it wasn’t clear who would represent the STC in these discussions.
Another STC official told Reuters that Zubaidi had not left the country and was in a “safe location” in Aden.
He said it wasn’t wise for Zubaidi to travel because of the current security conditions.
Meanwhile, Saudi state media reported that government forces working with Saudi Arabia were moving closer to Aden.
In a major development, Yemen’s Saudi-backed presidential council removed Zubaidi from its membership and referred him to the public prosecutor on charges like high treason.
The council’s leader, Rashad al-Alimi, accused Zubaidi of inciting rebellion and harming civilians.
A Saudi-led coalition spokesperson, Turki al-Maliki, mentioned that there were signs that Zubaidi had gathered large military forces.
The coalition asked the STC’s vice president, Abdulrahman al-Mahrami, also known as Abu Zara’a, to take over security in Aden. Abu Zara’a recently met with the Saudi defense minister in Riyadh.
Tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two major Gulf allies, have increased after fighting broke out last month between UAE-supported STC forces and the pro-Saudi government in Yemen.
The UAE pulled its troops out of Yemen last month under pressure from Saudi Arabia, which saw the STC’s actions as a security threat.
The UAE has since asked for a calm.
The Saudi-led coalition also said it carried out limited pre-emptive airstrikes in al-Dhalea province, Zubaidi’s hometown, after noticing armed groups leaving their camps.
Local reports said over 15 strikes happened in the area.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE got involved in Yemen’s war after the Houthis took control of Sanaa in 2014.
The STC, formed with Emirati help in 2017, later joined the government coalition but has always wanted more independence in the south.
This new conflict has made the anti-Houthi alliance even weaker and reduced hopes for a quick end to Yemen’s political and military crisis.