Yemen Monitor | Aden | Exclusive:
Senior Southern Transitional Council (STC) figure Fadi Baoum has revealed the nature of Emirati support for his faction’s moves in southern and eastern Yemen, confirming in what he described as a “frank admission” that what is underway is not merely a political alliance, but full Emirati sponsorship of the secession project.
In a post on his Facebook page, Baoum described the interventions in the eastern governorates as a “conscious alignment toward building a state,” at a time when Hadramowt and Al-Mahra are witnessing unprecedented tensions amid widespread rejection of control by the UAE-backed STC.
Baoum said the UAE’s backing of the STC “is neither a luxury nor a public relations exercise,” but rather a strategic decision aimed at imposing a new reality. He directly linked Emirati support to what he called the “restoration of the state.”
Tribal groups in Hadramowt and Al-Mahra have described the STC’s takeover as a “tribal invasion” from Al-Dhalea and Yafea, the result of an external “green light.”
Baoum also offered what observers described as a “political absolution,” apologizing for his previous positions in which he had rejected foreign tutelage, saying his earlier opposition to the UAE was due to a “misreading of the details.”
He justified this reversal by arguing that “acknowledging the truth is a form of strength,” asserting that Emirati influence represents a “position of support,” not an occupation.
Officially, the UAE denies supporting the secession of southern Yemen, insisting it remains committed to the peace plan. Earlier this week, an Emirati official told The Times that Abu Dhabi “remains committed to all international peace efforts that lead to the resumption of the political process, ultimately serving the aspirations of the Yemeni people for security, stability, and prosperity.” The official added that “the issue of governance and Yemen’s territorial integrity is a matter to be decided by the Yemeni parties themselves.”
These statements coincide with broad popular and tribal mobilization in Hadramowt and Al-Mahra rejecting the militarization of the two governorates or their incorporation into the STC’s project. For years, Fadi Baoum led a current that categorically rejected the Arab Coalition, before returning to Aden under a political deal and emerging as one of the most vocal defenders of Emirati policies he had previously described as “colonial.”
