The governor of Yemen's Hadramout province has accused the United Arab Emirates of exploiting the Arab coalition supporting Yemen's internationally recognized government to pursue its own agenda, saying its actions have harmed the south and shocked local authorities. Salem Al-Khunbashi, a member of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council, said during a press conference on Monday that Hadramout had suffered serious abuses in recent months by armed groups loyal to Aidarous Al-Zubaidi, which he said were backed by the UAE. "We believed they would be a source of support and assistance, but we were shocked by their behavior," Al-Khunbashi said. He said the armed groups carried out raids and acts of intimidation against civilians, including looting, kidnappings, killings and forced displacement, as well as the destruction and seizure of state property, causing widespread harm to the province's population. Al-Khunbashi said the Yemeni government had uncovered suspicious Emirati activities and equipment inside Al-Rayyan air base in Mukalla that he said were inconsistent with the declared objectives of the coalition or principles of Arab and Islamic solidarity. He said the equipment included booby traps, explosives, detonators and communications devices allegedly used in assassinations, killings and torture. He added that the presence of such materials at the airport base did not align with its supposed military role and instead suggested it was being used to plan and carry out crimes against civilians. According to Al-Khunbashi, the nature of the materials and the way they were prepared did not resemble equipment used by regular armed forces, reinforcing claims that the base was used for criminal operations. He accused armed groups loyal to Al-Zubaidi of using the southern cause as a cover for abuses against southerners themselves, sidelining their legitimate demands and serving what he described as an Emirati agenda aimed at spreading chaos and obstructing political initiatives. He also said the alleged discoveries help explain, in his view, why the UAE facilitated Al-Zubaidi's transfer via Somalia to Abu Dhabi, which he claimed was intended to shield him from legal accountability for violations committed in southern Yemen. Al-Khunbashi further alleged that evidence pointed to the existence of secret prisons in Mukalla run by Emirati forces, used for arbitrary detention, enforced disappearances and torture outside the judicial system. He said the authorities would take legal action against Al-Zubaidi, the UAE and anyone involved in the alleged violations, in accordance with Yemeni law, to protect citizens and preserve stability in Hadramout. Al-Khunbashi concluded by saying southern provinces were increasingly freeing themselves from what he described as imposed domination and control.
