RIYADH — Saudi Ambassador to Yemen Mohammed Al-Jaber affirmed that Aidarus Al-Zubaidi, head of the Southern Transitional Council, has refused to end escalation in the southern part of the country. He also asserted that Al-Zubaidi bears responsibility for carrying out agendas that have harmed the interests of Yemenis. In a statement posted on his Facebook page, Al-Jaber said that Al-Zubaidi made unilateral decisions without political commitment. "We faced continued rejection and intransigence from the part of Al-Zubaidi with regard to ending the escalation in the south. Al-Zubaidi's most dangerous decision was leading the attack on Hadramout and Al-Mahra," he said. Al-Jaber noted that Saudi Arabia has exerted significant efforts to support establishing peace, security, and stability in Yemen. "The Kingdom has worked to secure the withdrawal of the Southern Transitional Council forces from Hadramout and Al-Mahra," he said. The ambassador also revealed that Al-Zubaidi refused yesterday to issue a permit for landing of a plane carrying an official Saudi delegation to Aden. "The plane carrying the Saudi delegation, which traveled to meet with the leaders of the Southern Transitional Council, was prevented from landing. This was after reaching an agreement with some leaders of the council for the landing in its bid to find solutions in a way serving the interests of everyone and achieving the public interest," he said. "Al-Zubaidi also issued direct orders to close air traffic at Aden Airport, which caused significant harm to the Yemeni people," the ambassador said, adding "this is an irresponsible act that undermines political, military, and security coordination efforts and constitutes a dangerous precedent reflecting an insistence on escalation and a rejection of de-escalation." Al-Jaber affirmed that these actions reveal the STC leader's focus on his personal political and financial interests in implementing agendas that have no relation to Yemen in general and the southern cause in particular. The ambassador pointed out that Al-Zubaidi's unilateral decisions violated his commitments as a member of the Presidential Leadership Council. He emphasized that the closure of Aden Airport reflects Aidarus's insistence on escalation and his rejection of de-escalation. The Yemeni Presidency has repeatedly called on the Southern Transitional Council to de-escalate and condemned the actions of its forces in Hadramout, Al-Mahra, and other areas. Aden has also urged the UAE forces to withdraw from Yemeni territory following their support for the Southern Transitional Council's actions. It is noteworthy that in early December the Southern Transitional Council launched an offensive on the Hadramout and Al-Mahra governorates in eastern Yemen, seizing control of oil-rich areas and refusing to withdraw despite calls from the government and local Yemeni tribes.
