Yemen’s Saudi-backed presidential council expelled the leader of the separatist group and charged him with treason after he failed to fly to Riyadh for talks.
Six other members of the presidency accused Aidarus al-Zubaidi, head of the United Arab Emirates-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), of “undermining the independence of the republic.”
The Saudi-led military coalition said Zubaidi “fleeed” after failing to join STC officials on a flight from Aden and “moved a large force into al-Dhaleh province.” In response, coalition aircraft attacked the troops, he added.
The STC said the strike, which reportedly killed four people, was “unjustified” and that Zubaidi was still in Aden.
They also expressed concern that contact with their delegation in Riyadh had been lost.
Over the past few weeks, southern Yemen has been on the brink of a new conflict, with multiple factions clashing, including Iran-backed Houthi rebels waging a decade-long civil war against each other and a deepening rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.
Forces aligned with the STC have in recent years taken control of much of the south, which wants to become an independent nation once again by driving out forces loyal to the internationally recognized government and the presidential leadership council that oversees it.
Last December, STC forces launched an offensive to retake eastern Hadhrama’ut and al-Mahra provinces from the government, saying they were needed to “restore stability” in the south and fight Houthi rebels, al-Qaeda and the Islamic State (IS).
But Saudi Arabia warned last week that advances near the Saudi border pose a threat to national security as well as the security and stability of Yemen.
It also accused the UAE of putting “pressure” on its separatist allies to advance into eastern Yemen and expressed support for a presidential council’s call for all UAE troops to withdraw.
At the same time, the Saudi-led coalition formed by Arab countries, including the UAE, in 2015 after the Houthi rebels took control of northwestern Yemen, attacked a shipment of weapons and military vehicles for the STC that arrived from the UAE.
The UAE expressed “deep regret” over the Saudi accusations and denied there were any weapons, but agreed to withdraw its remaining troops from the country.
Since then, forces loyal to the government have regained control of Hadramawt and large parts of al-Mahra through coalition airstrikes.
In a bid to further ease tensions, Zubaidi and a STC delegation were scheduled to fly from Aden to Riyadh on Tuesday night for talks with the government. But the coalition said the plane departed three hours late without Zubaidi, who “fleeed to unknown places.”
“The legitimate government and the coalition have received information that Zubaidi has moved a large force, including armored personnel carriers, combat vehicles, heavy weapons and ammunition, from the Jabal Hadid and al-Solban camps in Aden to al-Dhaleh,” coalition spokesman Mazzen Turki al-Malki said in a statement.
“Coalition forces, in coordination with legitimate government forces and the (Saudi-backed) National Guard, have launched a limited preemptive strike to disrupt these forces and thwart Zubaidi’s attempts to escalate the conflict and extend it to al-Dhaleh,” he added.
More than 15 airstrikes hit al-Dale on Wednesday morning, killing at least four civilians, two hospital sources told AFP.
Maliki also accused Zubaidi of distributing weapons to “dozens of elements” in Aden “with the aim of fomenting unrest” and said the coalition had asked STC deputy leader Abdul Rahman al-Mahrami, who is also a member of the Presidential Council, to strengthen security there.
The Presidential Council subsequently issued a decree stripping Zubaidi of his membership and referring him to the Attorney General for prosecution on charges including “high treason,” “undermining the military, political, and economic standing of the republic,” and “organizing an armed gang and killing military officers and soldiers.”
“It has been confirmed that (Zubaidi) abused the legitimate cause of the South and used it to commit serious crimes against civilians in the South,” he claimed.
The STC diplomatic authority said in a statement that it had dispatched a delegation led by Secretary-General Sheikh Abdul Rahman Al-Subaihi to Riyadh to “engage positively and responsibly in various political initiatives and dialogue efforts.”
At the same time, President Aidarus Qassem Al-Zubaidi continues to carry out his duties in the capital Aden together with the people, adding that he is closely tracking and directly supervising the work of the military, security and civilian institutions.
The STC described the coalition airstrikes in Aldaleh as “surprising” and “an unfortunate escalation inconsistent with the declared tone of dialogue.”
It also expressed concern that no official information had been received about the whereabouts and situation of the Subaihi delegation in Riyadh, which it said “raises serious questions that require urgent clarification.”
