The UAE has announced that it will withdraw its military personnel from Yemen, hours after Saudi Arabia struck its Yemeni allies and made an extremely rare public condemnation of Abu Dhabi’s conduct in the country.
The Emirati defence ministry said in a statement that “in light of recent developments” it was announcing “the termination of the remaining counterterrorism personnel in Yemen of its own volition”.
The ministry said Abu Dhabi had participated in an Arab coalition supporting the internationally recognised government of Yemen since 2015.
It stated that while UAE forces had mostly concluded their role in 2019, specialised teams remained to work on “counter-terrorism efforts” alongside international partners.
It added: “In light of the recent developments and the potential repercussions that may affect the safety and effectiveness of counter-terrorism missions, the Ministry of Defense announces the termination of the remaining counter-terrorism teams in Yemen at its own volition, in a manner that ensures the safety of its personnel, and in coordination with the relevant partners.”
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On Tuesday morning, Saudi Arabia struck targets belonging to the Southern Transitional Council (STC) in the port of Mukalla. The STC is a UAE-backed group that seeks an independent south Yemen.
Riyadh said it targeted weapons and vehicles that had arrived in Mukalla on ships originating in Fujairah, a port city on the east coast of the UAE.
It added that the weapons “constituted an imminent threat”, and therefore Saudi-led forces conducted “limited air strikes” targeting shipments offloaded from two vessels.
Saudis claim threat to national security
A few hours after the strike, Riyadh published a strong statement criticising the UAE’s role in Yemen.
The Saudi foreign ministry said that it was disappointed by actions taken by the UAE “pressuring” the STC to conduct military operations on Saudi Arabia’s southern border, in the Yemeni regions of Hadhramaut and al-Mahrah.
It said such actions were a threat to Saudi Arabia’s national security, and the security and stability of Yemen and the wider region.
“The kingdom stresses that any threat to its national security is a red line,” it said. “[We] will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to confront and neutralise any such threat.”
It marked the strongest statement made by the kingdom since the STC seized control of swathes of territory in southern Yemen earlier this month.
The UAE said that it was “surprised” by the Saudi strike, and that it rejected Riyadh’s account.
Abu Dhabi’s foreign ministry said the strike was made without consulting other member states of the Saudi-led coalition that intervened in the Yemeni war against the Houthis in 2015.
It said that the targeted shipment was coordinated with Saudi Arabia, and that it did not contain weapons, but rather vehicles intended for use by UAE forces in the country.
The UAE claimed Saudi Arabia’s statement contained “fundamental inaccuracies”.
“The UAE categorically rejects any attempt to implicate it in the tensions between Yemeni parties and condemns the allegations of pressuring or directing any Yemeni party to carry out military operations,” the Emirati foreign ministry said, before later announcing its withdrawal from Yemen.
This is a developing story…
