Yemen separatist leader accused of treason as Saudis strike forces

Yemen’s Saudi-backed presidential council expelled the leader of a separatist group and accused him of treason after he failed to travel to Riyadh for negotiations.

Six other members of the presidency accused Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), of “undermining the independence of the republic.”

A Saudi-led military coalition said Zubaidi “fled” after failing to join STC officials on a flight from Aden and “moved a significant force” to al-Dahle province. Coalition aircraft launched strikes against the forces in response, he added.

The STC said the strikes, which reportedly killed four people, were “unjustified” and that Zubaidi was still in Aden.

He also expressed concern about the loss of contact with the group’s delegation in Riyadh.

In recent weeks, southern Yemen has found itself on the brink of new conflict, pitting factions fighting the Iran-backed Houthi movement in the country’s decade-long civil war and widening the divide between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

In recent years, forces aligned with the STC have taken control of much of the south, which they seek to return to as an independent state, driving out forces loyal to the internationally recognized government and the Presidential Council that oversees it.

In December, STC forces launched offensives to retake the eastern provinces of Hadramawt and al-Mahra from the government, saying they were needed to “restore stability” in the south and fight the Houthis, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group.

However, Saudi Arabia warned last week that advances near the kingdom’s borders posed threats to its national security as well as the security and stability of Yemen.

He also accused the UAE of “putting pressure” on its separatist allies to enter eastern Yemen and expressed support for the presidential council’s demand for the departure of all Emirati forces.

At the same time, the Saudi-led coalition – which was formed in 2015 by Arab states including the UAE, after the Houthis took control of northwest Yemen – struck what it presented as a shipment of weapons and military vehicles for the STC from the UAE.

The UAE expressed “deep regret” over the Saudi accusations and denied the existence of weapons, but agreed to withdraw its remaining forces from the country.

Since then, forces loyal to the government have largely regained control of Hadramawt and al-Mahra thanks to coalition airstrikes.

To further ease tensions, Zubaidi and a CTS delegation were expected to travel from Aden to Riyadh on Tuesday evening for talks with the government. However, the coalition said the plane left three hours late without Zubaidi, who “fled to an unknown location.”

“The legitimate government and coalition received intelligence that Zubaidi had moved a large force – including armored vehicles, combat vehicles, heavy and light weapons and ammunition – from the Jabal Hadid and al-Solban camps. [in Aden] to al-Dale,” coalition spokesman Maj. Gen. Turkey al-Malky said in a statement.

“Coalition forces, in coordination with legitimate government forces and [Saudi-backed] The National Shield Forces launched limited pre-emptive strikes to disrupt these forces and thwart Zubaidi’s attempts to escalate the conflict and expand it into al-Dhale,” he added.

More than 15 strikes hit al-Dahle early Wednesday and at least four civilians were killed, two hospital sources told the AFP news agency.

Maliki also accused Zubaidi of distributing weapons to “dozens of elements” in Aden “with the aim of creating unrest”, and said the coalition had asked STC deputy head Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami, who is also a member of the presidential council, to impose security there.

Later, the presidential council issued a decree declaring that Zubaidi had been stripped of his membership and referred him to the attorney general for prosecution on charges including “high treason”, “undermining the military, political and economic situation of the republic”, and “forming an armed gang and assassinating officers and soldiers of the armed forces”.

“It has been established that [Zubaidi] abused the just cause of the South and exploited it to commit serious crimes against civilians in the southern governorates,” he said.

The STC’s foreign affairs authority said in a statement that it sent a delegation led by its secretary general, Sheikh Abdul Rahman al-Subaihi, to Riyadh because it was determined to “engage positively and responsibly in various policy initiatives and dialogue efforts.”

“At the same time, President Aidarous Qassem al-Zubaidi continues to exercise his functions from the capital, Aden, alongside his people, closely monitoring and directly supervising the work of military, security and civilian institutions,” the statement added.

The CTS said it was “taken by surprise” by the coalition airstrikes in al-Dahle, describing them as an “unfortunate escalation and incompatible with the declared climate of dialogue.”

He also expressed concern that no official information has been received on the whereabouts and situation of Subaihi’s delegation in Riyadh, which he said “raises serious questions that require urgent clarification.”