Yemen expressed hope on Wednesday for a “genuine” withdrawal of the forces of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) from the country’s southern regions.
UAE on Tuesday announced ending its military presence in Yemen after the Presidential Leadership Council demanded the withdrawal of its forces within 24 hours. The developments followed a Saudi air strike that targeted military shipments that came from the UAE for the separatist STC.
Yemen’s Deputy Information Minister Mohammed Qizan told the Qatar-based Al Jazeera channel that the UAE continues to maintain a military presence at Riyan Airport in Mukalla, Al-Dhabba Port, Socotra Island, and Mayun Island “under the pretext of combating terrorism,” even though the Yemeni government made no such request.
The UAE’s announcement to withdraw its forces came shortly after the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen launched a "limited" air strike targeting two ships linked to the UAE at the Mukalla port in Yemen.
The attack came amid rising tensions since the Southern Transitional Council (STC) captured the eastern provinces of Hadramout and Al-Mahra early this month after clashes with government forces.
Qizan said that the Yemeni government is willing to see “a real withdrawal, not merely statements meant to appease public opinion.”
The Emirati forces stationed in the southern governorates were used “against Yemeni people and political leaders,” the deputy minister said, calling it “the core of the existing problem.”
He recalled a similar announcement made by the UAE regarding the withdrawal of forces in 2019, which was followed by practices that “violated Yemeni sovereignty,” including the bombing of the national army in the Shabwa governorate in 2022.
Qizan warned that any symbolic withdrawal could be followed by indirect support aimed at stirring unrest, affirming that the Yemeni government reserves its legal right to appeal to international courts to defend the country’s sovereignty and territorial unity.
Regarding the situation on the ground, Qizan said that some army units withdrew from their positions in the south, while others surrendered or declared loyalty to the STC under threat of force.
Qizan said recent movements by the STC in Hadramout and Mahra governorates were carried out through “a unilateral decision and with direct guidance from the UAE,” including seizing state military camps and official institutions, lowering the republican flag, and creating chaos to pave the way for declaring a so-called southern state.
