Yemen's main southern separatist group has decided to disband, one of its members said in a statement broadcast on state media on Friday in Saudi Arabia, where a delegation from the group, which appears to be splitting, has been attending peace talks.
Supporters of the UAE-backed separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC) hold a poster of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the STC's leader, who, according to the Saudi-backed coalition, fled to an unknown destination, in Aden, Yemen, December 21, 2025. Reuters/Fawaz Salman
Yemen's main southern separatist group has decided to disband, one of its members said in a statement broadcast on state media on Friday in Saudi Arabia, where a delegation from the group, which appears to be splitting, has been attending peace talks.
There was no immediate comment from those members of the separatist group - the Southern Transitional Council (STC) - who are not taking part in the Riyadh talks, which were aimed at ending a crisis between Gulf powers Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates over developments in Yemen.
The UAE-backed leader of STC, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, fled Yemen on Wednesday instead of heading to Saudi Arabia for the talks, which follow a sweeping advance through southern Yemen by the STC close to Saudi Arabia's border, which angered the Saudi government.
The Saudi-led coalition later said he had escaped with the help of UAE officers on a flight that ultimately landed at a military airport in Abu Dhabi.
A member of the delegation in Riyadh read a statement outlining the decision to disband the group on Saudi Arabia's state al Ekhbariya TV and media in Yemen.
The STC had said it had lost contact with all members of the delegation in Riyadh, indicating a split was emerging within the group.
Reporting by Jana Choukeir
The United Arab Emirates has drafted plans to build a compound to house thousands of displaced Palestinians in a part of south Gaza under Israeli military control, according to a map seen by Reuters and people briefed on the plans.
The World Governments Summit 2026 wraps up today, 5 February, in Dubai, closing another major edition of one of the world’s most influential platforms on governance and the future of public policy.
German Chancellor Friedrich Merz began a tour of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates on Wednesday aiming to forge energy and arms partnerships as Europe's biggest and richest economy sought to reduce dependence on the U.S. and China.
To make this website run properly and to improve your experience, we use cookies. For more detailed information, please check our Cookie Policy.
Necessary cookies enable core functionality. The website cannot function properly without these cookies, and can only be disabled by changing your browser preferences.