LONDON: Statements made by Salam Al-Khanbashi, the governor of Hadhramaut, suggest the United Arab Emirates has played an alarming role in Yemen and the largest of its 21 governorates.
In a televised press conference yesterday, Al-Khanbashi accused the UAE of having exploited the coalition working to restore legitimate government in Yemen “to achieve its own agenda.”
He also claimed that the citizens of Hadhramaut had been terrorised by armed groups affiliated with Maj. Gen. Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, who is backed by the UAE and earlier this month was sacked as vice-president of the country’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC).
Hadhramaut’s territory extends from the shore of the Gulf of Aden in the south to the Saudi Arabian border in the north.
Al-Zubaidi, who is now on the run, stands accused of treason and attempting to undermine the sovereignty of Yemen by creating a breakaway “State of South Arabia.”
