UPDATE - UAE announces end to its military presence in Yemen

UPDATES WITH DETAILS

By Rania Abu Shamala

ISTANBUL (AA) - The United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced an end to its military presence in Yemen on Tuesday amid rising tensions in the country’s south.

“Given the recent developments and the potential implications for the safety and effectiveness of counterterrorism tasks, the Ministry of Defense announces the termination of the remaining counterterrorism teams in Yemen of its own free will, in a manner that ensures the safety of its personnel, and in coordination with the concerned partners,” the ministry said in a statement.

The ministry said the UAE has been a member of the Saudi-led Arab coalition since 2015 “in support of legitimacy in Yemen, to back international efforts to combat terrorist organizations, and to help achieve security and stability in the brotherly country of Yemen.”

It stressed that Emirati forces “made great sacrifices to achieve these goals.”

According to the statement, the UAE forces ended their military presence in Yemen in 2019 after completing defined tasks “within the agreed official frameworks,” while what remained afterwards was “limited to specialized teams within counterterrorism efforts and in coordination with relevant international partners.”

Abdulla Mohammed Butti Al Hamed, chairman of the UAE National Media Office, said Abu Dhabi’s approach was guided by “wisdom rather than emotion,” stressing that relations with Saudi Arabia “are rooted in blood, shared sacrifices, and a joint future.”

“What binds us to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia goes beyond geography and politics; it is blood intermingled on the battlefield, a history written in sacrifice, and a future we envision only together,” he said.

He rejected any attempt to depict the UAE as fueling conflict, saying such claims “do not align with the realities on the ground.”

“Those who confront terrorism, the Houthis, Al-Qaeda and the Muslim Brotherhood shoulder to shoulder with their brothers cannot simultaneously be the ones who ignite a conflict that threatens those brothers’ borders,” he added.

He stressed that the current phase requires “wisdom and restraint,” warning that disturbing the strategic alliance between Abu Dhabi and Riyadh would be “a free gift to the enemies of stability.”

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chairman Rashad al-Alimi cancelled a joint defense pact with the UAE early Tuesday and gave a 24-hour deadline for the UAE forces to withdraw. He also declared a state of emergency for a 90-day period, along with a 72-hour air and land ban on all ports and border crossings.

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

The attack came amid rising tensions since the Southern Transitional Council (STC) captured the eastern provinces of Hadramaut and Al-Mahra early this month after clashes with government forces.