Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council on Tuesday declared a nationwide state of emergency and ordered the withdrawal of United Arab Emirates (UAE) troops amid rising tensions in the country’s south.
The head of the council, Rashad al-Alimi, announced the measures in a televised address, saying the emergency would remain in force for 90 days. He also directed that all UAE military forces leave Yemen within 24 hours and declared the cancellation of the Joint Defence Agreement between both countries.
According to Yemen’s state news agency, SABA, al-Alimi further ordered the closure of all ports and border crossings across the country for 72 hours as part of efforts to contain the escalating crisis.
The Saudi-backed Presidential Leadership Council currently administers government-held parts of Yemen, which has been fractured by years of civil war against the Houthi rebels.
Tensions have recently intensified between the government coalition and the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group backed by the UAE that seeks independence for southern Yemen. The rift deepened after coalition forces carried out what they described as a “limited airstrike” on two vessels in the port city of Mukalla, accusing them of delivering weapons to the STC.
The STC has repeatedly clashed with its allies within the coalition, expanding its control in the south and pressing demands for secession.
Meanwhile, Saudi Arabia has called on the UAE to fully withdraw its military presence from Yemen and suspend all military and financial support to local armed groups, warning that continued involvement could further destabilise the region.
The developments mark a significant escalation in Yemen’s already complex conflict, raising concerns about renewed violence and regional fallout.
