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STC Leader Flees Yemen Amid Riyadh Peace Talks, UAE Involvement Suspected
Southern Transitional Council leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi flees Yemen to UAE, skipping Riyadh peace talks. Saudi-led coalition hits STC forces, deepening Riyadh-Abu Dhabi tensions.
ND
by News Desk
2026-01-08
STC Leader Flees Yemen Amid Riyadh Peace Talks, UAE Involvement Suspected

Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of Yemen’s secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC), fled to the United Arab Emirates (UAE) via Somaliland, hours before scheduled peace talks in Riyadh, the Saudi-led coalition said on Thursday. The coalition accused the UAE of facilitating his escape.

According to a statement from the coalition, al-Zubaidi departed Aden on Wednesday night aboard a vessel bound for the port of Berbera in Somaliland. He then boarded a plane with UAE officers to Abu Dhabi, turning off its identification systems over the Gulf of Oman before arriving at Al Reef military airport.

Somalia’s immigration authorities confirmed they are investigating “the alleged unauthorized use of Somalia’s national air space and airports to facilitate the movements of a fugitive political figure,” calling it a potential violation of the country’s sovereignty.

Al-Zubaidi’s flight comes amid escalating tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, which Riyadh accuses of backing the STC’s offensive against government forces in December. The STC, originally aligned with Yemen’s internationally recognized government against Houthi rebels, seeks an independent southern Yemeni state. It seized the provinces of Hadramout and al-Mahra, bordering Saudi Arabia, which Riyadh has described as a national security red line.

In response, the Saudi-led coalition launched airstrikes against STC forces and supported the Yemeni government in reclaiming the territories. The coalition confirmed that al-Zubaidi did not travel with the STC delegation to Riyadh for peace talks.

The Yemeni government’s Presidential Leadership Council removed al-Zubaidi for “committing high treason,” and an investigation has been ordered by the country’s attorney general. Saudi Ambassador to Yemen, Mohammed Al-Jaber, met with the STC delegation in Riyadh, calling al-Zubaidi’s actions harmful to the Southern cause.

Al Jazeera correspondent Hashem Ahelbarra noted that al-Zubaidi’s departure leaves him politically sidelined. Other STC leaders attending Riyadh talks, including Abdulrahman al-Mahrami, commander of the Southern Giants Brigade, have assumed leadership roles, securing Aden and maintaining stability on the ground.

“The idea of secession is no longer on the table,” Ahelbarra said. “Talks now focus on a federal system under a single authority, with Riyadh setting the roadmap and tolerating no dissent.”

The events have exposed deep rifts between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, signaling further strain in the coming days over Yemen’s future.
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