By Shire Abdi - Reporter
Yemen, 7 January 2026 Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) on Wednesday dismissed a top official and two cabinet ministers, accusing them of high treason as the Saudi-led coalition reported that the leader of the country's main southern separatist group had fled to an unknown location.
In an emergency session chaired by President Rashad al-Alimi, the council voted to strip Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), of his membership and refer him to the public prosecutor.
The decree followed a statement by the Saudi-led military coalition alleging that Zubaidi had "fled" the southern port city of Aden for an undisclosed destination after failing to board a scheduled flight to Riyadh for de-escalation talks.
The council further dismissed Transport Minister Abdulsalam Humaid and Planning Minister Waed Badhib—both seen as allies of the separatist movement—and ordered an investigation into their roles in recent "unilateral actions" that officials say undermined state authority.
"The state will deal firmly with any transgressions to ensure the rule of law and the protection of the civil peace," the PLC said in a statement.
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The council accused Zubaidi of "high treason," inciting internal strife, and obstructing efforts to confront the Houthi rebels who control northern Yemen.
The Saudi-led coalition on Wednesday also conducted at least 15 airstrikes against STC positions in the southern province of Dhale, according to local sources and hospital officials, who reported several casualties. Major General Turki al-Malki, a spokesperson for the coalition, stated that Zubaidi had mobilized large military forces, including armoured vehicles and heavy weaponry, before disappearing.
The STC has rejected claims that its leader had fled, asserting in a statement that Zubaidi remains in Aden and is "continuing his duties."
The rupture marks a significant escalation in the long-standing rivalry between the Saudi-backed government and the UAE-backed southern separatists, threatening to collapse the fragile anti-Houthi alliance and reignite a full-scale civil war within the south.
