Yemen rift deepens as separatist leader skips talks
Recent dramatic developments have dashed hopes for a swift resolution to the turmoil within factions of Yemen's internationally recognized government, as the Saudi-led coalition carried out airstrikes on the home province of a Yemeni separatist leader after he failed to attend talks in Riyadh earlier this week.
On Thursday, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council, or STC, arrived in the United Arab Emirates via the Somali capital of Mogadishu, a Saudi military statement said, detailing the boat-and-plane journey from Aden to Abu Dhabi. But there was no immediate comment from Abu Dhabi or the STC.
Zubaidi was asked to go to Riyadh for discussions after the STC grabbed swaths of territory last month. But he didn't board the flight carrying his delegation on Wednesday.
Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, which holds executive power and includes groups backed by Saudi Arabia and the UAE, then announced Zubaidi's removal from the council, accusing him of committing several crimes, including "high treason".
The STC now looks divided as its deputy Abdulrahman al-Muharrami, who is in Riyadh, was asked to "enforce security and prevent hostilities in Aden".
Formed in 2017 and widely seen as backed by the UAE, the STC seeks autonomy and eventual independence for southern Yemen. Last week, Zubaidi announced a two-year transition toward creating a new country there.
The coalition on Wednesday carried out "limited preemptive strikes" to prevent Zubaidi from "escalating the conflict" and extending it into his home province of Al-Dhalea, said coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki.
He said that Zubaidi "fled to an unknown location … after he had mobilized a large force, including armored and combat vehicles, heavy and light weapons, as well as munitions".
An STC official confirmed that Zubaidi decided not to join the delegation flying to Saudi Arabia after hearing he would be asked to dissolve his group.
Meanwhile, a military source confirmed that units of the Saudi-backed National Shield Forces had arrived in Ataq, and were heading toward Aden about 400 kilometers away.
Aden, Yemen's temporary capital, is an STC stronghold and home to the group's headquarters. It has long been a flashpoint in the country's civil war, which erupted in 2014 when Houthi forces seized much of the north, prompting a Saudi-led military intervention in the following year. Tensions in the south have persisted despite repeated power-sharing deals.
Residents there reported widespread panic, with people rushing to purchase food, fuel and other essential commodities amid fears that fighting could erupt or airstrikes could target the city.
In another development, the first batch of 180 tourists stranded on the Yemeni island of Socotra landed in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, the Yemeni government said, adding that more flights would follow for hundreds more stuck following fighting on the mainland.
Agencies and Xinhua contributed to this story.
