Saudi Arabia has accused the United Arab Emirates of smuggling Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), out of Yemen after he failed to attend crisis talks in Riyadh. The Saudi-led coalition said al-Zubaidi fled Aden for Abu Dhabi via boat and aircraft, deepening a diplomatic rift between the two Gulf allies.
Al-Zubaidi reportedly travelled by boat to the Emirati-owned port of Berbera in Somaliland, then flew to Mogadishu before being tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi. Sources in the STC did not dispute his escape. The crisis erupted last month when UAE-backed separatists swept through southern Yemen, reaching the Saudi border, which Riyadh deemed a threat to its national security.
The Saudis back Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, which expelled al-Zubaidi and charged him with treason after he failed to fly to Riyadh for talks. His flight marks a disastrous end to the STC's drive to declare southern Yemen a separate state, aiming to restore the pre-1990 north-south split. Internal splits within the STC, including a withdrawal of support from a key commander, had weakened his position.
Yemen's internationally recognised government demanded international sanctions on al-Zubaidi, stating he acted with recklessness under direction from Abu Dhabi. Saudi Arabia's public highlighting of the Emirati role underscores continued anger over UAE backing of the STC rebellion. The STC's grip on Aden had been weakened, allowing Saudi-backed forces to enter the city.
