Yemen cancels joint defense agreement with UAE, calls for immediate withdrawal of all Emirati forces

“All Emirati forces must withdraw from all Yemeni territory within 24 hours,” Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi said in a televised speech.

A state of emergency has been declared across the country, effective from today for a period of 90 days, along with a 72-hour air and land ban on all ports and border crossings, al-Alimi said.

The move came shortly after the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen launched a "limited" airstrike targeting two ships at the Mukalla port in Yemen.

In remarks reported by the Saudi Press Agency, Coalition Forces spokesperson Maj. Gen. Turki al-Maliki said two vessels arriving from the UAE port of Fujairah entered the port of Mukalla on Dec. 27-28 without securing official authorization from the coalition’s Joint Forces Command.

Alimi said the latest Emirati move represents “a continuation of a systematic approach over years, including sustained pressure on the STC to act unilaterally, exploit the just southern cause, and attempt to paralyze constitutional state institutions represented by the Presidential Leadership Council and the government.”

He added that pressure exerted by Abu Dhabi on the STC “to undermine state authority and rebel against it through military escalation, attacks on armed forces positions, repeated assaults on Hadramout tribes and innocent civilians” resulted in the grave violations against the Yemeni people.

"The southern issue is a just cause and lies at the heart of the project to build the state, and no one holds an alternative mandate on behalf of the people of the South," Alimi said.

“No one has the right to exploit the southern issue to achieve political objectives,” he added.

He called on the STC to withdraw its forces from the south, noting that they refrained from responding to dialogue calls “at a time when the country was in greatest need of dialogue.”

Alimi also expressed appreciation for Saudi efforts to de-escalate tension in support of the Yemeni people.

There was no immediate comment from the UAE.

The Yemeni government, for its part, welcomed measures taken by the presidential council chairman to protect security in the country and across the region.

In a statement, the government said unilateral steps taken by the STC and the entry of weapons and forces from outside official frameworks constitute “a serious security breach and a blatant violation of the principles of the transitional phase and de-escalation efforts.”

It hailed what it called Saudi Arabia’s “historic and steadfast position” and its pivotal role in supporting Yemen’s security and stability and commitment to protecting civilians and reducing escalation.

The government also welcomed a Saudi Foreign Ministry statement that considered Hadramout and Mahra as integral parts of the Yemeni state.

Tension has escalated in Yemen after the STC took control of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra early this month after clashes with government forces.

The STC repeatedly claims that successive governments have politically and economically marginalized southern regions and calls for their separation from the north – claims rejected by the Yemeni authorities, as they insist on preserving the country’s territorial unity.