Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council: UAE Forces to Leave Yemen Within 24 Hours

Sudanhorizon– Agencies

The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad al-Alimi, has declared a state of emergency across the country on Tuesday, effective immediately and lasting for 90 days, with the possibility of extension. He also imposed a 72-hour air, sea, and land blockade on all ports and border crossings, except for those authorized by the leadership of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen.

According to the official Yemeni news agency Saba, al-Alimi issued a decree “canceling the joint defense agreement with the UAE” and called on “all Emirati forces and their personnel” to leave Yemeni territory within 24 hours.

According to the issued decree, Al-Alimi, in his capacity as Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces, added that “all forces and military formations in the governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra must fully coordinate with the leadership of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy, represented by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and return immediately to their original positions and camps without any clashes, handing over all sites to the Homeland Shield Forces.” He reiterated his call for the Southern Transitional Council forces to expedite their withdrawal from Hadramawt and Al-Mahra.

According to the presidential decrees issued by the President of the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen, following a “limited strike” by the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen on weapons and military equipment belonging to the Council in the port of Mukalla, “the Homeland Shield Forces must move and take control of all camps in the governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra.”

The President of the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen, Rashad Al-Alimi, renewed his call for the Southern Transitional Council to expedite the withdrawal of its forces from the governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra in southern Yemen, “without any pre-conditions,” stressing that “the state will confront any rebellion against its institutions firmly, in accordance with the constitution, the law, and international legitimacy resolutions, including lifting any political cover from perpetrators of violations.”

In a statement carried by the Saba News Agency, he asserted that the Southern Transitional Council’s continued escalation has “led to the squandering of political, economic, and developmental gains, and exacerbated the suffering of citizens.”

The head of the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council praised “the sincere and brotherly role played by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in supporting Yemen and its constitutional legitimacy, and its leadership in efforts to de-escalate the conflict, based on shared interests and challenges,” emphasizing that “this support will remain a source of gratitude and appreciation in the national memory.”

In the statement, Al-Alimi expressed “deep regret” over “the UAE’s increasing role in supporting the Southern Transitional Council’s rebellion, as detailed in the statement issued by the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition to Support Legitimacy regarding shipments of weapons and military equipment that arrived at the port of Mukalla without authorization. This statement included evidence of the UAE’s involvement in supporting the military escalation, undermining state authority, and threatening the unity and territorial integrity of the Republic of Yemen.”

The Saudi-led coalition supporting the legitimate government in Yemen announced on Tuesday that it had carried out a “limited airstrike” targeting external military support for the Southern Transitional Council forces in the port of Mukalla, Hadramawt Governorate. The coalition confirmed that there were no casualties or damage to port infrastructure as a result of the operation.

Coalition spokesman Major General Turki al-Maliki, as reported by the official Saudi Press Agency (SPA), stated that two ships arriving from the port of Fujairah unloaded a large quantity of weapons and military vehicles on Saturday and Sunday to support the Southern Transitional Council forces in the eastern Yemeni governorates of Hadramawt and al-Mahra, with the aim of escalating the conflict. He noted that the ships had not obtained the necessary permits from the Joint Forces Command of the Coalition, and that the crews had disabled their tracking systems, which constitutes a clear violation of the ceasefire and the pursuit of a peaceful solution, as well as a violation of UN Security Council Resolution 2216 of 2015.

Al-Maliki added that, based on a request from the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council to the Coalition forces to take all necessary military measures to protect civilians in the governorates of Hadramawt and al-Mahra, and given the danger and escalation posed by these weapons, which threaten security and stability, the Coalition air forces conducted a limited military operation targeting weapons and military vehicles unloaded from the two ships. At the port of Mukalla, after documenting the operation, the military action was carried out in accordance with international humanitarian law and its customary rules, ensuring no collateral damage occurred.

Al-Maliki affirmed the Coalition leadership’s continued commitment to de-escalation and enforcing calm in the governorates of Hadramawt and Al-Mahra, and to preventing any military support from any country to any Yemeni faction without coordination with the legitimate Yemeni government and the Coalition. This is aimed at ensuring the success of the Kingdom and the Coalition’s efforts to achieve security and stability and prevent the conflict from escalating, as reported by the Saudi Press Agency (SPA).

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