Four of Yemen’s eight Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) members on Tuesday denounced an announcement by the council’s chief over recent developments, accusing him of violating the governing agreement.
Tensions between Yemeni leaders have been rising for weeks, underscoring the fragility of Yemen’s already fractured political landscape and further complicating efforts to confront the Houthi rebels.
The latest rift took an unprecedented turn on Tuesday morning, marked by a Saudi-led coalition “limited operation” targeting weapons and combat vehicles linked to the Southern Transitional Council (STC), which has three members in the PLC.
The operation was followed hours later by announcements from PLC chief Rashad Al Alimi, who said he was seeking to cancel the joint defence agreement with the UAE.
“What has been issued […] constitutes a clear violation of the Declaration of the Transfer of Power [agreement], which explicitly stipulates that the Presidential Leadership Council is a collective body whose decisions are taken by consensus, or by majority when consensus is not possible,” the statement by the four members said.
“It does not, under any circumstances, allow for unilateral decision-making on sovereign, military, or major political matters,” it added. The statement was signed by STC chief Aidarous Al Zubaidi, Faraj Salmin Al Bahsani, Tariq Saleh and Abu Zaraa al Muharrami.According to the government-aligned Saba news agency, Mr Al Alimi also urged the National Shield Forces, part of the pro-government coalition, to take over military camps in Hadhramaut and Mahra and declared a 72-hour air, sea, and land blockade, despite lacking effective control over entry points without the STC.
The STC, wh
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