The Saudi-led coalition in Yemen has alleged the United Arab Emirates helped smuggle a separatist leader out of the country after he was expelled from Yemen's presidential council and accused of treason.
A coalition spokesman said Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), fled Aden on Tuesday night in a boat to Somaliland. He was then flown by a cargo aircraft to Abu Dhabi via Mogadishu under the supervision of UAE officers, he added.
There was no immediate comment from the UAE or STC.
The STC insisted Zubaidi was still working from Aden on Wednesday, despite the coalition claiming he had fled to an unknown location.
The coalition accused Zubaidi of moving STC forces from bases in Aden to his home province of al-Dahle and carried out air strikes as a result. The STC condemned these strikes, which reportedly killed four people, as unjustified and inconsistent with calls for dialogue.
Recently, allegations surfaced that Zubaidi and associates escaped from Aden's port on a St Kitts and Nevis-flagged passenger ship and were flown to Abu Dhabi on an aircraft that disabled its identification systems during transit.
The rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE is deepening as southern Yemen faces the brink of renewed conflict. STC forces have previously sought greater autonomy from the Yemeni government, raising tensions along the Saudi border.
In response to the deteriorating situation, Saudi Arabia has accused the UAE of pressure tactics on its separatist allies and supported demands for the withdrawal of Emirati forces. Meanwhile, government forces have regained territory in Hadramawt and al-Mahra with assistance from coalition air strikes. Reports indicate that Saudi-backed forces are also moving to consolidate control over Aden.
