The Saudi led coalition fighting in Yemen says the leader of the country’s southern separatists has left the country in a move that highlights growing tensions within the anti-Houthi alliance.
According to the coalition Aidarous al Zubaidi head of the Southern Transitional Council boarded a vessel that took him to Somaliland before continuing his journey onward. The coalition says the departure happened without coordination and at a sensitive moment in Yemen’s fragile political process.
Al Zubaidi leads the UAE backed separatist movement that controls large parts of southern Yemen and seeks autonomy or independence from the central government. His reported departure follows rising political and military tensions in the south and disagreements over power sharing arrangements.
Saudi Arabia which backs Yemen’s internationally recognized government has accused al Zubaidi of undermining stability and skipping planned talks aimed at easing the crisis. The move has also exposed strains between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates longtime partners who support rival factions in Yemen.
The development adds new uncertainty to peace efforts in a country already devastated by years of war as divisions among anti Houthi forces threaten to further complicate Yemen’s path toward stability.
