A rapidly unfolding crisis in southern Yemen intensified after the leader of the Southern Transitional Council failed to attend planned talks in Riyadh, raising uncertainty over efforts to contain renewed fighting and exposing deepening divisions within a Gulf-backed coalition.
The missed meeting followed weeks of clashes between southern separatist forces and troops loyal to Yemen’s internationally recognised government, drawing Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates onto opposing sides of the conflict.
Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the STC, was expected to travel from Aden to Riyadh for talks aimed at easing tensions, but he did not board the scheduled flight, and his whereabouts were initially unclear.
The STC said al-Zubaidi remained in Aden overseeing military and security operations, while Saudi-backed authorities accused him of inciting rebellion and removed him from the presidential council.
Senior STC official Amr Al Beidh said Saudi Arabia warned it would bomb Aden if al-Zubaidi did not attend the talks, a claim that drew no immediate response from Riyadh.
Despite confusion over leadership, other STC officials said a delegation had arrived in Riyadh and that discussions would proceed, though it was unclear who would represent the group.
The Saudi-led coalition said it had monitored movements of armed forces linked to al-Zubaidi and carried out limited preemptive airstrikes in southern provinces, as government troops advanced toward Aden.
The renewed fighting has highlighted a sharp rift between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, longtime partners in Yemen’s war against the Iran-backed Houthis.
The STC, established in 2017 with Emirati backing, has for years been part of the coalition governing southern and eastern Yemen, but its recent territorial advances shifted the balance of power.
Saudi Arabia viewed the separatist push toward its borders as a security threat, while the UAE has called for de-escalation and announced a drawdown of its forces.
The crisis has fractured the coalition and dimmed hopes for a swift resolution to southern Yemen’s turmoil, underscoring the fragile alliances shaping the country’s prolonged conflict.