At the height of a rapidly escalating political and military confrontation, two questions have come to dominate Yemen’s political scene: Why did Southern Transitional Council President Aidarous al-Zubaidi pull back at the last moment from traveling to Riyadh? And what happened to the STC delegation that had already arrived in the Saudi capital to take part in preliminary consultations for a South–South dialogue under Saudi sponsorship?
What Exactly Happened?
Al-Zubaidi had been expected to travel personally to Riyadh at the head of an STC delegation to participate in the anticipated southern dialogue conference. According to the coalition, Zubaidi was formally notified on Jan. 4 of the need to travel to the kingdom within 48 hours to meet with Rashad al-Alimi and coalition leaders to discuss the reasons behind the recent escalation and the STC forces’ attack on Hadramawt and Al-Mahra.
Zubaidi initially agreed to attend, informing Riyadh on Jan. 6 of his desire to participate in the conference. As a result, a delegation of STC leaders headed to Aden International Airport on the evening of Jan. 6 in preparation for departure to Riyadh aboard a Yemenia Airways flight. The plane’s departure was delayed for more than three hours to allow Zubaidi time to join. But at the decisive moment, events took a dramatic turn. According to the coalition’s account, Aidarous al-Zubaidi never boarded the aircraft and left the airport suddenly at the last minute.
On the morning of Jan. 7, coalition spokesman Turki al-Maliki announced that Zubaidi had “fled to an unknown location” instead of traveling to Riyadh, a move deemed a breach of commitments. The Presidential Leadership Council immediately convened an emergency meeting chaired by Alimi, which resulted in stripping Zubaidi of his membership in the council and referring him to the judiciary on charges of high treason. The decision reflected the scale of the rupture between Zubaidi and the internationally recognized government, particularly given that the STC had previously been a nominal partner in power under the Riyadh Agreement.
The STC itself sought to soften the impact of its leader’s absence. In a briefing delivered Wednesday morning via video call with media outlets, Amr al-Baidh, the special representative of the STC president for foreign affairs, said Zubaidi was in Aden and continuing to oversee security and military developments, denying claims that he had fled.
Zubaidi’s decision: A rejection of pressure
According to Al-Baidh’s briefing, Zubaidi’s decision not to travel was not a withdrawal from participation so much as a calculated political move.
Al-Baidh explained that the council had already dispatched an “authorized” delegation to participate, and that the atmosphere preceding the invitation was not, in his view, conducive to a normal dialogue. He said the messages received by the council were understood as coercive, carrying the implication: “Either you come and participate, or you will face escalation,” arguing that such a formula does not create an environment for equitable negotiations.
As for the delegation, Al-Baidh said its members arrived in Riyadh at dawn, after which all communication with them was completely cut off. He said the delegation numbered more than 50 members, including ministers and government officials. The loss of contact, he added, reinforced the council’s sense that conditions were not suitable for a “real” dialogue, especially in the absence of any direct communication channel to verify what was happening on the ground.
Adding to the ambiguity was the circulation of a “single post” attributed to Mohammed al-Ghaithi, a member of the STC’s presidium who arrived in Riyadh with his colleagues from Aden. The post stated: “I arrived with colleagues from Aden in the city of Riyadh, and in a positive atmosphere we will begin a series of meetings to prepare for a South–South dialogue under the sponsorship of our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.” However, the council was unable to verify the authenticity of the post, according to Al-Baidh, due to the lack of communication with its author.
As for what happened at the airport, Al-Baidh said the details were relayed by witnesses who were on the same flight. They spoke of the delegation being transferred from the aircraft to a bus and departing without knowing its destination. He stressed, however, that he could not confirm whether their phones had been confiscated, as the witnesses, he said, did not see that directly.
In contact with the family of one delegation member, they confirmed that they lost communication with him immediately upon his arrival in Riyadh. He was able to send a brief message upon landing, after which contact was cut off.
In sum, the council says it is currently demanding guarantees for the delegation’s safety and calling for action and pressure to ensure it, while reaffirming its call for de-escalation and the creation of conditions for a “real” dialogue. Between a single unverifiable post and an official account of severed communications, the fate of the negotiating team and the context of its movements in Riyadh remain open questions awaiting official clarification.
