Saudi Arabia has accused the United Arab Emirates of smuggling a UAE-backed separatist leader out of Yemen after he failed to attend crisis talks in Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen said Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), fled the port city of Aden for Abu Dhabi under Emirati supervision.
According to Saudi officials, al-Zubaidi travelled by boat to the Emirati-owned port of Berbera in Somaliland, then flew to Mogadishu, Somalia, before being tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi. Sources in the STC did not dispute the escape.
The diplomatic row between Saudi Arabia and the UAE escalated last month when UAE-backed separatists swept through southern Yemen, reaching the Saudi border. The Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council expelled al-Zubaidi and charged him with treason after he failed to fly to Riyadh for talks.
Al-Zubaidi's flight marks a disastrous end to the STC's drive to declare southern Yemen a separate state. Internal splits within the STC weakened its grip on Aden, allowing Saudi-backed forces to enter the city. The UAE, diplomatically isolated, ended military support for the STC, contributing to its collapse.
The Saudi-backed government's ministry of information demanded international sanctions on al-Zubaidi, stating he acted with direction from Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia's willingness to highlight the Emirati role underscores continued anger over the UAE's backing of the STC rebellion.
