Saudi Arabia expressed its disappointment at the “brotherly United Arab Emirates'” support for a separatist offensive in Yemen, warning on Tuesday that any threat to its national security was a red line.
Calling the UAE’s actions “highly dangerous,” Saudi Arabia said: “…The Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to counter and neutralize any such threat.”
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Earlier on Tuesday, Saudi Arabia bombed the Yemeni port city of Mukalla over what it said was a shipment of weapons for separatist forces there that had arrived from the United Arab Emirates, the Associated Press reported.
The kingdom later directly linked the UAE to recent separatist advances in Yemen. The attack signaled a new escalation in tensions between Saudi Arabia and the separatist forces of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which is backed by the Emirates.
Full statement by Saudi Arabia
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia said in a press statement on Tuesday that the United Arab Emirates had been pressuring “the forces of the Southern Transitional Council to conduct military operations on the southern borders of the kingdom in the governorates of Hadramout and Al-Mahara.”
It reads: “The actions taken by the UAE are considered highly dangerous, contrary to the principles on which the Coalition for the Restoration of Legitimacy in Yemen was founded, and do not serve the coalition’s purpose of achieving security and stability for Yemen.
“In this regard, the Kingdom emphasizes that any threat to its national security is a red line and the Kingdom will not hesitate to take all necessary steps and measures to counter and neutralize any such threat,” the ministry warned.
“Leave Yemen within 24 hours”
The kingdom further urged the “brotherly United Arab Emirates” to accept the “Republic of Yemen’s request that all its forces leave the Republic of Yemen” within 24 hours and stop any military or financial support to any party in Yemen.
“In this regard, the Kingdom hopes that wisdom, the principles of brotherhood, good neighborliness, strong ties between the countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council and the interest of brotherly Yemen will prevail,” the ministry said.
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“The kingdom also hopes that the brotherly UAE will take the necessary steps to preserve the bilateral relations between the two brotherly countries, which the kingdom wants to strengthen, and continue to make joint efforts towards everything that leads to the well-being, prosperity and stability of the countries in the region,” it added.
Here’s what we know so far:
1. Mukalla is in Yemen’s Hadramout governorate, which the Council seized in recent days. The port city is about 480 kilometers (300 miles) northeast of Aden, which has been the seat of power for anti-Houthi forces in Yemen since the rebels seized the capital Sanaa in 2014.
2. A military statement issued by the Saudi Press Agency announced the strikes, which it said came after ships arrived there from Fujairah, a port city on the east coast of the United Arab Emirates.
The Saudi-led coalition said the two ships arrived from the United Arab Emirates’ port of Fujairah on Saturday and Sunday without its permission.
Upon arrival at Mukalla, the vessels switched off their tracking systems and unloaded a large number of weapons and combat vehicles in support of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), it added.
Two sources told Reuters the attack targeted the dock where the two ships’ cargo was being unloaded.
3. The attack was believed to have targeted a ship identified by analysts as the Greenland, a dock-and-launch vessel flying the flag of St. Kitts. Tracking data analyzed by the AP showed the vessel was in Fujairah on December 22 and arrived in Mukalla on Sunday. The second vessel could not be immediately identified.
4. The attack in Mukalla came after Saudi Arabia attacked the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council on Friday, which analysts said was a warning to the separatists to halt their advance and leave Hadramout and Mahra governorates, Reuters reported.
5. Following the attack in Mukalla, Yemeni anti-Houthi forces declared a state of emergency later on Tuesday, ending cooperation with the United Arab Emirates and ordering all Emirati forces on its territory to evacuate within 24 hours.
The leader of the Yemeni Presidential Council canceled the joint defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates. It issued a 72-hour ban on all border crossings into territory it holds, as well as entry into airports and seaports, except those authorized by Saudi Arabia.
(With input from agencies)
