Aden, Yemen – In a major political surprise, a senior official in the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council denied that any decision had been made “unanimously” to end the partnership with the United Arab Emirates. He also stated that no demand had been made for the UAE to leave Yemeni territory. This reveals a deep rift within the country’s leadership following President Rashad al-Alimi’s speech.
Lack of consensus and refutation of decisions
The source explained in press statements that the legal mechanism for decision-making within the Presidential Leadership Council stipulates the necessity of “consensus” on sovereign and critical issues. He confirmed that President Al-Alimi’s announcement regarding the cancellation of the joint defense agreement and the demand for Emirati forces to withdraw within 24 hours was not agreed upon by all members of the council.
The source indicated the following points:
The invalidity of unilateral decision-making: Any sovereign decisions affecting Yemen’s foreign relations or military partnerships must go through channels of national consensus within the Council.
Refuting the state of emergency: The source raised questions about the constitutionality of declaring a state of emergency and imposing a comprehensive ban without the signature of all members of the Presidential Leadership Council.
The context of the “political earthquake”
This denial comes just hours after a speech by President Rashad al-Alimi, in which he took the harshest measures against Abu Dhabi since the start of the war, including:
Cancel the joint defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates immediately.
He set a 24-hour deadline for the withdrawal of Emirati forces, describing their role as “hostile”.
Declaring a state of emergency for 90 days and imposing a land, air and sea blockade for 72 hours (except for the Saudi-led coalition forces).
