Saudi Arabia accuses UAE of helping separatist leader flee amid escalating crisis in Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of smuggling a UAE-backed separatist leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, out of Aden after he failed to show up for talks with Saudi Arabia. The UAE's alleged involvement in al-Zubaidi's escape has further strained diplomatic relations between the two nations.
According to reports, al-Zubaidi was first smuggled onto a boat at the Emirati-owned port of Berbera in Somaliland before boarding an aircraft bound for Mogadishu, Somalia. The plane was later tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. Sources within al-Zubaidi's Southern Transitional Council have acknowledged his escape without contesting the details.
The Saudi-backed government has charged al-Zubaidi with treason and expelled him from Aden after he refused to attend talks in Riyadh. The move was seen as a significant escalation of tensions between the two nations, which had previously cooperated in fighting against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The crisis deepened when UAE-backed separatists took control of southern Yemen and reached the border with Saudi Arabia, which declared the move a threat to its national security. The situation has further deteriorated since January 2, when al-Zubaidi declared a two-year transitional period leading to a self-determination referendum for the "State of South Arabia."
The Saudi-led government has accused the UAE of backing the separatist movement and has offered to stage a southern dialogue. However, the UAE's diplomatic isolation has made it difficult for Riyadh to achieve its goals.
Al-Zubaidi's escape highlights the scale of the military and political overreach by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which had aimed to declare southern Yemen a separate state. The STC's grip on Aden weakened after internal splits, allowing Saudi-backed forces to enter the city.
The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has accused the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of smuggling a UAE-backed separatist leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, out of Aden after he failed to show up for talks with Saudi Arabia. The UAE's alleged involvement in al-Zubaidi's escape has further strained diplomatic relations between the two nations.
According to reports, al-Zubaidi was first smuggled onto a boat at the Emirati-owned port of Berbera in Somaliland before boarding an aircraft bound for Mogadishu, Somalia. The plane was later tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi, the UAE capital. Sources within al-Zubaidi's Southern Transitional Council have acknowledged his escape without contesting the details.
The Saudi-backed government has charged al-Zubaidi with treason and expelled him from Aden after he refused to attend talks in Riyadh. The move was seen as a significant escalation of tensions between the two nations, which had previously cooperated in fighting against the Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
The crisis deepened when UAE-backed separatists took control of southern Yemen and reached the border with Saudi Arabia, which declared the move a threat to its national security. The situation has further deteriorated since January 2, when al-Zubaidi declared a two-year transitional period leading to a self-determination referendum for the "State of South Arabia."
The Saudi-led government has accused the UAE of backing the separatist movement and has offered to stage a southern dialogue. However, the UAE's diplomatic isolation has made it difficult for Riyadh to achieve its goals.
Al-Zubaidi's escape highlights the scale of the military and political overreach by the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which had aimed to declare southern Yemen a separate state. The STC's grip on Aden weakened after internal splits, allowing Saudi-backed forces to enter the city.
"The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy." - Martin Luther King Jr. 
We need leaders who can stand by their principles even when it's hard. The situation with Yemen and UAE is getting more complicated day by day and we all need to keep an eye on it. 
al-zubaidi's escape is just another example of how the situation is spiraling out of control. i mean, the southern transitional council was supposed to be a solution but now they're just causing more problems. 
someone needs to step in and broker some peace talks, or we'll never get to a resolution 
but seriously, who smuggles a separatist leader outta an airport? that's like something out of a spy movie 
al-zubaidi's escape might be a last ditch effort by the stc to keep their goals on the table tho, hope they can find some common ground with saudi and uae instead of escalating things further 
Saudi Arabia thinks the UAE is behind Aidarous al-Zubaidi's escape? That's just rich. And now the situation in Yemen is more complicated than a Kardashian family feud... 
Who gets hurt in the end, though? Just another example of how fragile international relations can be... 
it's like they're both trying to win a game of cat and mouse on the yemeni conflict map 
and now al-zubaidi's escaped out of aden... that's just wild 
i mean, you'd think the uae would be all like "hey, we're gonna work with saudi" but nope, they went ahead and smuggled him out of aden anyway 
it's all getting so complicated now 