Yemen separatist leader flees, avoids Riyadh talks to tackle southern crisis

Coalition says STC leader fails to board plane set to take him to Riyadh and flees instead to unknown destination

Reuters

January 07, 2026

STC leader Zubaidi skips flight to Riyadh, flees unknown.
Presidential council strips Zubaidi of membership over treason.
STC and Yemen government feud deepens amid armed clashes.

The leader of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC), Aidarous al-Zubaidi, failed to board a plane set to take him to Riyadh and fled instead to an unknown destination, the Saudi-backed coalition in the country said on Wednesday.

The remarks came amid efforts to end fighting that erupted last month between the STC and Yemen's internationally recognised government.

Zubaidi was set to travel to Saudi Arabia days after Yemen's government said it had asked Riyadh to host a forum on the southern issue.

A government soldier stands at a checkpoint outside a military base in the Arabian Sea port city of Mukalla, as the internationally recognised government said it had retaken control of the key eastern port and capital of Hadramout province, from the southern separatists, Yemen, January 4, 2026. — Reuters

In a statement, coalition spokesperson Turki al-Maliki said a flight carrying a large number of senior leaders of the separatist group departed after a delay of more than three hours without Zubaidi, and with no information on his whereabouts.

During the delay, "information became available indicating that he had moved large forces," Maliki added, citing "calls for mobilisation and the movement and arming of factions with light and medium weapons".

The Houthis seized the Yemeni capital of Sanaa in 2014 and Gulf countries intervened the following year in support of the internationally recognised government, splitting Yemen into rival zones of control.

The coalition also said it carried out limited pre-emptive airstrikes in Yemen's southern province of al-Dhalea after monitoring the movements of armed forces that had left their camps.

Domestic sources and sources within the STC reported more than 15 strikes in the province, the birthplace of Zubaidi.

Following the developments, the presidential council stripped Zubaidi of his membership and referred him to the public prosecutor on charges including high treason, state news agency SABA said.

The decision, issued by council chairman Rashad al-Alimi, accused Zubaidi of inciting armed rebellion, attacking constitutional authorities and committing abuses against civilians in southern Yemen.

For years, the STC has been part of Yemen's internationally recognised government.