UAE-Backed Yemeni Separatist Leader Slips Out via Somaliland, Deepening Saudi–Emirati Rift

By Staff, Agencies

Aidrous al-Zubaidi, head of Yemen’s secessionist Southern Transitional Council [STC], has left the country for the United Arab Emirates through Somaliland after failing to attend scheduled peace talks in Riyadh, according to the Saudi-led coalition.

In a statement issued Thursday, the coalition said Zubaidi departed Aden late Wednesday night aboard a maritime vessel bound for the port of Berbera in Somaliland. From there, he was transferred under Emirati coordination to the UAE. Upon arriving in Berbera, Zubaidi reportedly contacted an officer known as Abu Saeed, later identified as Major General Awad Saeed al-Ahbabi, commander of the UAE’s Joint Operations.

The coalition said an Ilyushin Il-76 aircraft had been pre-positioned to transport Zubaidi and his entourage. The group then flew to Somalia’s capital, Mogadishu, before continuing to Abu Dhabi. According to the statement, the aircraft’s identification systems were intentionally switched off while crossing the Sea of Oman and reactivated shortly before landing at al-Reef military airport in the UAE. The plane is said to be commonly used on routes associated with conflict zones, including Libya, Ethiopia, and Somalia.

Neither the STC nor Emirati officials offered immediate comment. However, the Saudi military separately accused the UAE of smuggling Zubaidi out of Yemen, alleging direct involvement by an Emirati general identified by his nom de guerre, an unusually explicit move that underscored the seriousness of the charge.

If confirmed, the operation could further strain relations between Riyadh and Abu Dhabi, tensions that resurfaced in December when UAE-backed STC forces clashed with Saudi-supported Homeland Shield Forces. On Wednesday, the Saudi-led coalition announced airstrikes in Yemen’s southern al-Dhale governorate, targeting a site described by sources as an arms depot linked to Zubaidi. The coalition said the strikes were carried out in coordination with Homeland Shield Forces as a preventive security measure.

Earlier this week, Saudi-backed forces also reclaimed the southeastern provinces of Hadhramaut and Mahra from STC militants. Together, the two regions account for nearly half of Yemen’s territory and had been seized by STC forces last month, marking a significant setback for the UAE-aligned separatists.