Yemen’s Government Accuses U.A.E. of Bombing Its Forces in Aden
Yemen’s Government Accuses U.A.E. of Bombing Its Forces in Aden
(Bloomberg) -- The United Arab Emirates rejected accusations by Yemen’s Saudi-backed government that it bombed troops in the south to support separatist forces, the latest sign that the major Gulf allies are splitting over Yemen’s future.
The U.A.E. Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Thursday that it was defending itself and responding to threats from armed groups against the Arab coalition in Aden, Yemen’s southern port city. Minutes after the Emirates statement, Yemen’s President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi accused the U.A.E. of a “flagrant attack” against the “unity” of the country.
The latest developments underscore the widening schism between the U.A.E. and its key ally, Saudi Arabia, in a war that’s dragged on for more than four years and created a humanitarian disaster. Clashes between government troops and the separatists escalated this month in southern Yemen, fracturing forces meant to be united against Iranian-backed Houthi rebels, who come from the north.
“Coalition forces were targeted by armed groups led by members of terrorist organizations that attacked the Arab coalition forces at Aden airport,” the U.A.E. foreign ministry said. This “resulted in the injury of two elements of the coalition forces, and therefore the right of self-defense was used to protect the forces and ensure their security,” it said.
300 Killed
The air strikes in the southern cities of Aden and Zinjibar killed or injured more than 300 people, the state-run SABA reported, citing a statement by the Yemen’s defense ministry.
In an earlier statement on Thursday, Yemen’s Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Al-Hadhrami called on Saudi Arabia to “side with the legitimate government and stop this illegal and unjustifiable military escalation.” The government says the separatists’ campaign couldn’t have happened without military and financial backing from U.A.E., a charge the Gulf state has denied.
Despite the Emirates’ assertion that it was defending itself, the air strikes have changed the battlefield in favor of the separatists. On Thursday, they regained control of Aden and Zinjibar, according to residents, local media groups and the separatists.
The turmoil has raised questions over the strength of the Gulf Arab alliance that plays a crucial role in supporting the Trump administration’s policies against Iran. The two nations, however, have stressed their unity, with Anwar Gargash, the U.A.E. state minister for foreign affairs, describing ties with Riyadh as “existential.”
Saudi-U.S. Talks
As the chaos in Yemen takes a dangerous turn, Saudi Arabia’s Deputy Defense Minister Khalid bin Salman was in Washington. He met with Secretary of State Michael Pompeo on Wednesday and Secretary of Defense Mark Esper a day later.
With Pompeo, he discussed “U.S. support for a negotiated resolution between the Republic of Yemen government” and a breakaway group known as the Southern Transitional Council, or STC, according to a statement from State Department spokeswoman Morgan Ortagus.
Prince Khalid’s meetings are “significant because of the ongoing events in Yemen,” said Theodore Karasik, a senior analyst at Gulf State Analytics in Washington. “There is the perception of differences between Saudi Arabia and the U.A.E. in terms of what is happening on the ground in the southern Yemen. The ongoing U.A.E. operations, in addition to STC actions, are frustrating the Saudis again.”
Prince Khalid’s visit also comes as the U.S. is reportedly considering a change in its Yemen policy. Citing sources it didn’t identify, the Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that the U.S. administration is also preparing to initiate direct talks with Yemen’s Iranian-backed Houthis.
Houthi rebels have been battling a Saudi-led coalition since 2015, when mainly Gulf forces intervened to restore the rule of President Hadi and his government after the Houthis captured the capital, Sana’a. The Emirates joined the Saudi-led coalition, which said its military response also aimed to push back Iranian influence in the Arabian Peninsula.
The intervention has pitted the Arab world’s wealthiest nations against its poorest and generated widespread charges of human rights abuses as well thousands of civilian deaths.
--With assistance from Mahmoud Habboush, Zaid Sabah and Vivian Nereim.
To contact the reporters on this story: Mohammed Hatem in Dubai at mhatem1@bloomberg.net;Glen Carey in Washington at gcarey8@bloomberg.net
To contact the editors responsible for this story: Alaa Shahine at asalha@bloomberg.net, Bill Faries, Larry Liebert
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