Yemen needs new counter-terrorism strategy after UAE teams withdraw, experts say

Yemen needs a new counter-terrorism strategy to tackle the growing Al Qaeda and Muslim Brotherhood threat following the withdrawal of UAE operatives, analysts have told The National.

The lack of counter-terrorism teams could now mean that Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) will “prosper”, security analysts have warned.

The departure of the Emirati personnel risks creating a dangerous vacuum in parts of Yemen already destabilised by political infighting and militia rivalries.

AQAP, one of the most deadly international terror groups, has long exploited weak governance and internal divisions to regroup and expand.

Arab coalition forces operating in Yemen. Faisal Al Nasser / Reuters

Wolf-Christian Paes, a Yemen expert at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), said the security environment is deteriorating further, with troubling reports emerging about extremist activity, including from Somalian terrorists.

“There are allegations about Al Shabab training camps in Yemen now,” he said. “The plot is thickening.”

Mr Paes added that Yemen urgently needs a coherent counter-terrorism strategy, comparable to the international one against the Houthi movement. “By fighting with each other, you’re not getting any closer to it,” he said.

While it mattered less who led counter-terrorism operations, the UAE had one of the strongest track records.