Yemen Monitor / Newsroom:
The Immigration and Naturalization Directorate of the Federal Republic of Somalia announced the opening of an immediate investigation into reports regarding the unauthorized use of Somali airspace and airports to facilitate the movement of a wanted political figure—referring to Aidarous al-Zubaidi, who was smuggled by sea to Somaliland and subsequently to the United Arab Emirates.
In an official statement, the Directorate said it has launched the probe in coordination with competent national authorities to verify these reports and determine whether any violations of Somali law, immigration regulations, or established national protocols have occurred.
The Directorate emphasized that such actions, if proven, constitute a “serious violation” of Somalia’s national sovereignty and immigration laws, stressing its categorical rejection of facilitating the flight of wanted individuals or the execution of unilateral operations without official legal authorization.
The Somali statement follows a report issued by the Saudi-led Arab Coalition regarding these developments. The Somali Immigration Directorate reaffirmed its support for the call issued by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to hold a dialogue in Riyadh, describing it as the appropriate political path to address the situation in Yemen.
The Directorate noted that any attempts to circumvent this political process represent an undermining of existing diplomatic efforts, affirming its commitment to the rule of law, international standards, and the protection of Somalia’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. It concluded by stating it would take necessary legal measures based on the investigation’s results to ensure full accountability for any confirmed violations.
Earlier on Thursday, the Saudi-led Arab Coalition announced that al-Zubaidi had fled to the Somaliland region and then to the Somali capital, Mogadishu, before arriving in the United Arab Emirates.
The official spokesperson for the Coalition forces, Major General Turki al-Maliki, stated that intelligence information confirmed al-Zubaidi fled by sea at night with others from the Port of Aden toward “Somaliland.”
The spokesperson added that the fugitives deactivated their identification systems and arrived at the Port of Berbera yesterday afternoon. Al-Zubaidi then contacted an officer known as “Abu Saeed”—later identified as Major General Awadh Saeed Musleh al-Ahbabi, the Commander of UAE Joint Operations—to inform him of his arrival. An aircraft was waiting for them and took off without a declared destination after they boarded under the supervision of Emirati officers.
According to the spokesperson, the plane landed at Mogadishu Airport yesterday afternoon, waited for an hour, and then departed toward the Arabian Gulf via the Arabian Sea. The identification system was turned off over the Gulf of Oman and reactivated ten minutes before landing at Al-Reef Military Airport in Abu Dhabi yesterday evening.
