The Media Line: Yemen’s STC Rejects Order Calling for Withdrawal of UAE Forces  

Yemen’s STC Rejects Order Calling for Withdrawal of UAE Forces  

By The Media Line Staff  

Yemen’s Southern Transitional Council (STC) on Tuesday rejected orders issued by Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi calling for the withdrawal of United Arab Emirates forces, as tensions intensified following a recent strike by Saudi-led forces.  

Al-Alimi earlier announced the cancellation of a joint defense agreement with the UAE and instructed Emirati forces to leave Yemen within 24 hours. He also declared a nationwide state of emergency for 90 days and ordered a 72-hour suspension of air, land, and sea movement at all ports and border crossings.   

The decisions came after the Saudi-led coalition carried out what it described as a limited operation at the port of Mukalla targeting weapons and armored vehicles unloaded from ships that had arrived without authorization.  

In response, the STC issued a statement together with four members of the presidential council rejecting what it described as unilateral decisions that could drag Yemen into renewed confrontations and harm relations with regional partners.   

The statement said the measures violated the declaration transferring powers to the presidential council and argued that no individual authority had the right to revoke the role of any party within the Arab coalition. “The UAE has been, and continues to be, a key partner in confronting the Houthi project,” the statement said.  

The STC also denied reports that the presidential council had unanimously approved the demand for Emirati withdrawal. A source cited by the STC-affiliated AIC television channel said no such consensus existed, stressing that decisions related to sovereignty require unanimous approval by the eight-member council.   

Yemeni officials confirmed that the council remains divided, with al-Alimi and three members based in Riyadh backing the Saudi-led coalition’s actions, while STC leader Aidarus al-Zoubaidi and three other members inside Yemen favor mediation and oppose direct military escalation.  

The latest crisis follows the STC’s takeover of Hadramout earlier this month after clashes with government forces, followed by its expansion into Al-Mahrah. The STC says successive governments have marginalized southern regions politically and economically, a claim rejected by Yemeni authorities, who insist on preserving territorial unity.  

Senior STC figure Hani bin Buraik condemned the Mukalla airstrikes, accusing Saudi Arabia of targeting civilian infrastructure. “Saudi Arabia is now officially attacking our country, Hadramout, and its civilian port,” he said, calling the strikes unjustified.