Riyadh (TDI): The leader of Yemen’s powerful Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidarous al-Zubaidi, has disappeared to an unknown location after failing to board a flight to Riyadh for planned talks, Saudi-led coalition said.
Officials in the coalition said al-Zubaidi was expected in the Saudi capital for negotiations aimed at easing tensions between his UAE-backed separatist movement and Yemen’s internationally recognized government, but he did not arrive and “fled.”
Saudi coalition spokespeople reported intelligence indicating that al-Zubaidi moved substantial forces, including armored vehicles and heavy weapons, raising alarm that the conflict could expand further.
In response, coalition aircraft carried out pre-emptive strikes in the southern al-Dhalea governorate early Wednesday, aiming to disrupt what it called a potential escalation of hostilities.
Read More: Yemen’s STC Ready for Riyadh Talks After Losing Key Governorates
The STC leader has disappeared at a time when all eyes were fixed on the dialogue in Riyadh; which the STC and the UAE welcomed in their respective statements. But sudden disappearance has put the process in jeopardy, and has once again heightened fears of escalation.
The STC, heavily supported by the UAE, has increasingly pursued southern autonomy. In December, its fighters captured vast swaths of southern Yemen, including the oil-rich Hadramout and Mahra provinces, prompting a forceful response from Saudi-aligned troops who have since reclaimed key sites.
Amid the turmoil, Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, headed by Rashad al-Alimi, has moved to distance itself from the STC’s leadership.
Al-Alimi stripped al-Zubaidi of his council membership and referred him to prosecutors on serious charges including high treason and inciting rebellion.
Read More: UAE Urges Calm, Calls on Yemenis to Settle Disputes Through Dialogue
The tug of war between the STC and the ruling coalition are evident of the divides within the anti-Houthi factions. Houthis, which control Yemen’s north and its capital Sanaa, remain one of the most powerful stakeholders in Yemen’s civil war.
Saudi Arabia had hoped to use peace talks in Riyadh to bring rival southern groups together and revive implementation of the Riyadh Agreement, but al-Zubaidi’s sudden disappearance and the ensuing military escalation threaten to derail those diplomatic efforts.
The Riyadh Agreement was concluded between the Yemeni government and the southern separatists in 2019 and was a power sharing deal through which the STC agreed to not pursue its separatist goals.
