Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council Chairman, Rashad Al-Alimi, has declared a national state of emergency as rising tensions rocked the country’s southern region. He also ordered the withdrawal of troops from the United Arab Emirates within 24 hours.
According to the state news agency, SABA, the directive includes the cancellation of the Joint Defence Agreement between Yemen and the UAE.
Al-Alimi, who announced this in a televised address on Tuesday, said the state of emergency would remain in force for 90 days. He further announced the temporary shutdown of all ports and border crossings across Yemen for 72 hours.
The Saudi-backed leadership council currently administers government-controlled areas of Yemen, which has been deeply divided for years due to its ongoing civil war with Houthi rebels.
Tensions have recently intensified between the Saudi-aligned coalition and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group supported by the UAE.
On Tuesday, the coalition confirmed it carried out what it described as a “limited airstrike” on two vessels in the southern port city of Mukalla, alleging that the ships were transporting weapons to the STC.
The STC has repeatedly clashed with coalition partners as it pushes to expand its territorial influence and continues to demand full secession for southern Yemen.
Meanwhile, the Saudi Foreign Ministry has called on the UAE to withdraw its military presence from Yemen and to stop providing financial and military assistance to what it described as local armed groups.
