Yemen Crisis Deepens: Separatist Leader Absent from Talks, Saudi-UAE Rift Widens

A high-stakes crisis in Yemen has escalated, with the leader of the southern separatists, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, failing to attend crucial talks in Riyadh. The move has sparked a major rift between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, two key players in the region. The crisis began when the Southern Transitional Council (STC), backed by the UAE, clashed with the Saudi-backed internationally recognised government. The UAE, which has pursued an assertive foreign policy, has carved out its own sphere of influence across the Middle East and Africa. Zubaidi's absence from the talks has left his fate unclear, and his whereabouts are unknown. The STC claims he is overseeing military and security operations in the southern port city of Aden, while the Saudi-backed presidential council has accused him of treason and stripped him of his membership. The tensions between Saudi Arabia and the UAE have been further exacerbated by the Saudi-backed coalition's decision to carry out limited airstrikes in the southern province of al-Dhalea, Zubaidi's birthplace. The coalition has also imposed a curfew in Aden, further escalating the situation. The crisis has its roots in a long-standing civil war in Yemen, which began when the Houthis seized the capital of Sanaa in 2014. Saudi Arabia and the UAE first intervened in the conflict more than a decade ago, and the UAE has since pulled its forces out of Yemen under pressure from Saudi Arabia. The situation remains volatile, with the STC and the Saudi-backed government engaged in a fierce battle for control of the southern region. The crisis has put the two major players in the region, Saudi Arabia and the UAE, on opposite sides, and it remains to be seen how the situation will unfold.