UAE fuels rebellion in Socotra in service of its conspiracies

The UAE stepped up its aggressive conspiracies on Socotra Island, which is strategically located in Yemen, by feeding discord in order to serve its ambitions for influence and expansion.

Four military brigades on the island, at the instigation of an Emirati, announced their defection from the internationally recognized legitimate government and their support for the “Southern Transitional Council” supported by Abu Dhabi.

The rebellion came two days after the legitimacy of the headquarters of the Special Forces, which the separatists had taken control about eight weeks ago, was restored, which is fueling the situation on the island, which for years of the war was immune to unrest, unlike the rest of the Yemeni provinces.

Yemeni sources stated that the “Tanks”, “Air Defense”, “Military Police” and “Najd” brigades announced their rebellion against legitimacy completely, noting that the four battalions had brought the flag of the Republic of Yemen out of their camps, and raised the flags that the separatists used as a slogan for their supposed state in the event that the link between South and North Yemen is re-established as it was before 1990.

The sources pointed out that the “southern separatist council” also owns two camps for the security belt, one in Hadibu, the capital of the archipelago, and the second in Qalansiyah, east of Socotra, and are subject to the full supervision of the Emirates.

For his part, adviser to the Yemeni Information Minister Mukhtar Al-Rahbi said that Socotra did not know the cases of rebellion and assassinations until when entering the Emirates with its legions covering up the cover of humanitarian aid.

Al-Rajabi considered in TV statements that the Emirati institutions there are only a cover for intelligence work, and an attempt to control the island of Socotra by buying loyalties and distributing funds to some of the military leaders of the rebellion, and explained that what happened was an escalation and reaction to the announcement of their rebellion.

For his part, the writer and political analyst Asad Bishara went on to say that there is a Saudi-Emirati discrepancy in southern Yemen, and attempts to delineate influence reached a climax in the Riyadh agreement that was not implemented. One of the results of this variation was what is happening in Al Mahrah and Socotra, and this matter weakens the coalition and legitimacy as well as the southern powers, as it is costly for everyone.

He added that failure to adhere to the Riyadh agreement means opening the door to a conflict on the ground that the coalition will not bear.

He explained that the transitional council is allied with the UAE and does not act on its own, considering that the issue is much more dangerous than a military dispute, but rather that the continuation of the situation in this way affects the overall Yemeni situation and the coalition campaign supporting legitimacy in Yemen, and leads to a military confrontation.

On the other hand, the former US State Department official Nabil Khoury indicated that there are no fundamental differences between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, and the Riyadh agreement paved the way for dividing Yemen, as the south of Yemen is east of Saudi Arabia and west of the Emirates, while legitimacy remains confused, especially in light of internal divisions that may Lead to military skirmishes between them.

He added that there is a feeling that Saudi Arabia is giving up legitimacy, and it may specifically give up Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, and there are heirs of Hadi competing with each other to please the Kingdom.