The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday the complete withdrawal of its troops from Yemen amid heightened tensions in the conflict-ridden nation, which had caused strain between the U.A.E. and Saudi Arabia. The U.A.E. Defense Ministry stated that the decision to withdraw troops followed the conclusion of counterterrorism missions, without specifying the number of soldiers or equipment involved, although there were several recent Emirati military cargo flights to and from Yemen.
In a separate development, the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in Yemen, supported by the U.A.E., unveiled a constitution for an independent state in the south and urged other factions within the country to recognize this initiative. The STC characterized the move as a declaration of independence for the southern region, but its practical implementation and significance remained unclear.
Last month, fighters affiliated with the STC captured control of two southern provinces from forces backed by Saudi Arabia and seized the Presidential Palace in Aden, the main city in the south. Subsequently, members of the internationally recognized government, previously based in Aden, fled to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia. Saudi warplanes targeted camps and military positions held by the STC in Hadramout province on Friday, as Saudi-backed fighters attempted to gain control of these facilities, according to a separatist official.
The escalating tensions have led to direct involvement by Saudi Arabia, which has conducted airstrikes on STC forces in recent weeks and reportedly intercepted a shipment of Emirati weapons intended for the separatist group. While ostensibly part of a Saudi-led coalition against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels in Yemen’s north, the diverging interests of the involved factions and Gulf nations are straining the coalition, risking internal conflict and further destabilizing the already war-torn and impoverished nation.