The United Arab Emirates announced on Saturday the complete withdrawal of its troops from Yemen following heightened tensions in the conflict-ridden nation, which had placed the U.A.E. at odds with Saudi Arabia, another influential Gulf country.
According to a statement from the U.A.E. Defence Ministry, this decision comes after the completion of the remaining missions of counterterrorism units. The statement did not specify the exact number of soldiers or equipment that were relocated, although there were several Emirati military cargo flights observed departing from and arriving in Yemen in recent days.
In a separate development, the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist movement supported by the U.A.E., revealed a drafted constitution for an independent state in southern Yemen. The STC called on other factions within the country to acknowledge this initiative, framing it as a declaration of independence for the southern region. However, the practical implications of this move remain uncertain.
Last month, fighters affiliated with the STC seized control of two southern provinces from forces backed by Saudi Arabia and captured the Presidential Palace in Aden, the primary city in the south. Subsequently, members of the internationally recognized government, previously stationed in Aden, fled to Riyadh, the capital of Saudi Arabia.
In response to these developments, Saudi warplanes targeted camps and military positions held by the STC in Hadramout province on Friday. This marked the latest direct involvement by Saudi Arabia, which has also conducted airstrikes on STC forces and intercepted a shipment of Emirati weapons intended for the separatists.
While the Saudi-led coalition, comprising Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., and their allies in Yemen, has ostensibly been combating the Iranian-backed Houthis to reinstate the internationally recognized government ousted by the rebels, internal tensions and diverging interests now threaten to destabilize the coalition. This discord poses a risk of escalating conflict and further exacerbating the dire situation in Yemen, which remains the most impoverished country in the Arab world.
