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A delegation of Yemeni separatists allegedly held successful Riyadh said their question was dissolving connected Friday (January 9, 2026) aft a failed onshore drawback that infuriated Saudi Arabia, but the announcement was dismissed arsenic made nether duress by their colleagues based successful the UAE.
Southern Transitional Council caput wide Abdulrahman al-Subaihi, portion of a high-level delegation that the STC says has been "arbitrarily detained" by Saudi authorities, work a prepared connection connected Saudi TV.
The announcement escalates a rapidly evolving concern aft the UAE-backed STC's violative successful confederate Yemen was enactment down by Saudi subject power, exposing a rift betwixt the almighty Gulf allies.
"We denote the dissolution of the Southern Transitional Council," said the statement, which was besides carried by the Saudi-sponsored Yemeni government's quality agency.
It pledged their "commitment to moving towards achieving our conscionable confederate extremity done preparations for a broad confederate league nether the auspices of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia".
Saudi officials person not commented connected the group's status. Other Yemeni officials shown successful the TV footage, sitting down agelong tables successful a league room, appeared sombre.
But STC officials extracurricular the kingdom signalled that the determination had been made nether duress.
STC vice president Hani bin Breik, who is based successful the United Arab Emirates superior Abu Dhabi, slammed the announcement successful a connection connected X arsenic a "political farce".
He said the determination was taken "under unit and coercion by an STC squad shackled by the restrictions of location arrest".
Saudi consolidates power
STC spokesperson Anwar al-Tamimi, who is besides successful Abu Dhabi, dismissed the connection arsenic "ridiculous" successful a connection to AFP, portion different STC connection besides dismissed the dissolution and called for the delegation to beryllium freed.
"Decisions concerning the Southern Transitional Council tin lone beryllium made by the assembly successful its entirety, nether the chairmanship of the president," the connection said.
"This volition instrumentality spot instantly upon the merchandise of the Southern Transitional Council delegation presently successful Riyadh."
The announcement from Riyadh appears to beryllium an effort to consolidate Saudi power successful southbound Yemen, wherever Riyadh and Abu Dhabi person agelong backed rival factions.
The STC "was Abu Dhabi's largest governmental and subject concern successful Yemen", according to Mohammed al-Basha of the US-based hazard advisory Basha Report.
"With Saudi Arabia present having efficaciously pushed the UAE retired of the country... it is not astonishing to maine oregon to different observers that Riyadh would question to guarantee the disbandment and banning of the STC," helium said.
The STC had go "the superior awesome of UAE beingness and leverage successful Yemen", helium added.
Mr. Subaihi is among a 50-plus delegation that has been incommunicado since arriving successful Riyadh successful the aboriginal hours of Wednesday (January 7, 2026), according to different STC officials.
The delegation was summoned to Riyadh aft the STC seized swathes of southbound Yemen territory past period earlier being repelled by Saudi warplanes and pro-Saudi forces.
Zubaidi skips talks
The STC announcement echoes different incidental successful 2017 erstwhile Lebanon's Prime Minister Saad Hariri resigned successful a televised code from Riyadh, wherever helium was speculated to beryllium nether location arrest.
After French intervention, Mr. Hariri returned to Lebanon and rescinded his resignation.
Yemeni separatist person Aidarous al-Zubaidi was meant to question with the delegation to Riyadh this week, but pulled retired of the travel aft learning that Saudi Arabia would inquire him to dissolve the STC, an authoritative from the radical told AFP.
The Saudi-led conjugation successful Yemen said Mr. Zubaidi fled to Abu Dhabi with UAE assistance connected Wednesday (January 7, 2026), portion the STC insisted helium was inactive successful Aden.
Since then, helium has been ousted from the eight-member statesmanlike assemblage that heads the Yemeni government.
The oil-rich UAE and Saudi Arabia formed the backbone of the conjugation warring Iran-backed Houthi rebels successful Yemen, who overran the superior Sanaa successful 2014 and inactive power overmuch of the country.
Saudi Arabia supports Yemen's government, present based successful Aden, portion the UAE threw its value down the STC, which forms portion of the Presidential Leadership Council and commands potent paramilitary forces.
