Yemeni Official Claims UAE Withdrawal from Yemen is Not Genuine Amid Ongoing Coalition Conflicts
According to the International Desk of Webangah News Agency, Arif al-Amiri, Secretary of the Southern Yemen Liberation Front, has dismissed the UAE’s declared withdrawal from Yemen as insincere move, emphasizing that Abu Dhabi continues to hold military bases in key regions. Al-Amiri stated that the recent developments in Yemen, including Saudi airstrikes on the port of Mukalla and repeated statements from various parties, reveal a struggle for influence among the invading coalition members rather than spontaneous events.
Al-Amiri noted that conflicts within the coalition are not new and stem from decades-old geopolitical, political, military, and economic disputes. Each party is vying to position itself as the most effective tool for advancing Zionist projects in the region, with occupied southern and eastern Yemen serving as a primary battleground. He added that these agendas are executed through local mercenaries employed as cheap instruments to serve Saudi and Emirati interests.
Despite a 24-hour ultimatum from Saudi Arabia for the UAE to withdraw its forces, no tangible exit occurred. The UAE’s defense ministry claimed an end to its military presence, yet Abu Dhabi remains entrenched in Yemeni territory. The UAE had previously announced a full withdrawal in 2019 but has since maintained its military foothold, particularly on Yemeni islands and strategic facilities.
Al-Amiri highlighted that the UAE retains military bases and airports on Mayun, Abd al-Kuri, and Socotra islands, as well as ports on Yemen’s western coast. Abu Dhabi has also deviated from the coalition’s declared framework, seeking direct control over vital ports and trade routes. These actions have reportedly alarmed Saudi Arabia, especially as Emirati-backed Southern Transitional Council elements continue efforts to dominate mineral-rich areas and oil and gas fields in Hadramawt, Shabwa, and Al-Mahra provinces.
Al-Amiri stressed that Saudi concerns are not driven by a desire to preserve Yemen’s unity or alleviate its people’s suffering but by conflicting interests within the coalition. The real beneficiaries of these conflicts, he said, are the U.S. and the Zionist regime. He reiterated that since the coalition’s invasion in March 2015, Yemen has maintained that the primary goal of the aggression is to fragment the country under misleading pretexts, notably the so-called restoration of legitimate government.
