The United Arab Emirates announced Tuesday it is withdrawing its remaining forces from Yemen, following a demand from Saudi Arabia amid escalating tensions over a separatist offensive. The UAE defense ministry stated the withdrawal of “counter-terrorism teams” was done “of its own volition.”
UAE Forces Withdraw From Yemen
Yemen’s presidential council and Saudi Arabia, key powerbrokers in the country, had both requested the Emirati troop pullout. The move comes after forces from the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) advanced across Hadramawt and Mahra provinces earlier this month.
Prior to dawn Tuesday, the Saudi-led coalition struck an Emirati shipment at Mukalla port, alleging it carried weapons for the separatists. The UAE denied this claim.
Footage from the port showed dozens of military vehicles, some burnt out, being hosed down by workers.
The advance by the STC raises the possibility of a return to South Yemen, a separate state from 1967 to 1990, and complicates ongoing peace negotiations with Iran-backed Houthi rebels.
Emirati troops initially arrived in Yemen as part of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, who seized much of the country and forced the government from the capital Sanaa in 2014. The UAE withdrew most of its forces in 2019, maintaining a limited presence in the government-run south.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio spoke with his Saudi and UAE counterparts regarding the situation, according to a State Department spokesman. The discussion covered the situation in Yemen and broader Middle Eastern security and stability.
Discover more from Archyworldys
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
