Aidrous al-Zubaidi, the leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC) has fled to an unknown location. This comes in the wake of his ouster from the Saudi-backed presidential council. The STC, which has been part of Yemen’s internationally recognized government for several years and is supported by the United Arab Emirates, now faces increased scrutiny following serious allegations against its leader.
The Saudi-led coalition is currently engaged in a years-long conflict with the Iran-aligned Houthis. To counter the UAE-affiliated separatists’ growing power, they have started conducting “targeted pre-emptive strikes” of their own inside Yemen. The moves expose the expanse of a developing schism between the UAE and neighbor Saudi Arabia. This division has broken apart their initial coalition, formed to battle Houthi forces after they seized control of the Yemeni capital, Sana’a, in 2014.
Aidarous al-Zubaidi serious charges including high treason and inciting armed rebellion. He has been charged with usurping constitutional authority and perpetrating abuses against civilians in southern Yemen. Rashad al-Alimi, president of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, didn’t joke about the accusations. He emphasized how they continue to mirror the growing humanitarian catastrophe developing in the area.
Times are changing, and the STC is on the rise. Consequently, Yemen has become a critical arena of overlapping and contending areas of control. The coalition is deeply embedded in fighting the Houthis. Yet they’re doing the difficult work of preventing local factions from ratcheting up tensions to the point where violence may destabilize coexistence.
Maj General Turki al-Malki, spokesperson for the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen, emphasized the coalition’s commitment to maintaining order and supporting legitimate authorities.
Reportedly, al-Zubaidi’s exit would certainly complicate peace efforts in Yemen even further as the situation on the ground remains extremely fluid. Even with a restrictive humanitarian space, the ongoing conflict has continued to take immense toll on millions of civilians in the country and has sparked enormous international scrutiny.