ADEN, Yemen, Dec. 30 (Xinhua) -- Chairman of Yemen's Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) Rashad al-Alimi on Tuesday announced the cancellation of a joint defense agreement with the United Arab Emirates (UAE), ordering all Emirati military forces to withdraw from the country within 24 hours.
According to a statement released by the state-run Saba news agency, the decision comes amid escalating tensions between the PLC and UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC), following the STC's seizure of large areas in Yemen's Hadramout and Al-Mahrah provinces earlier this month.
The decision requires all UAE forces and military personnel to leave Yemeni territory within the specified timeframe. It also instructs Yemen's National Shield Forces -- backed by Saudi Arabia -- to deploy immediately and assume control of all military camps in Hadramout and Al-Mahrah.
No further details were provided regarding the practical arrangements for the withdrawal or the future framework of relations between Yemen and the UAE.
Al-Alimi also declared a 90-day nationwide state of emergency on Tuesday, citing the need to safeguard national security and maintain public order.
The decision includes a 72-hour air, sea and land embargo on all ports and border crossings across the country, effective immediately.
Yemen has been mired in conflict since 2014, when Houthi forces captured Sanaa and large swathes of the north, prompting a Saudi-led coalition to intervene in 2015.
Formed in 2017, the STC seeks self-determination and eventual independence for southern Yemen. Despite joining the Saudi-led coalition and integrating into the PLC in 2022, the group continues to push for southern sovereignty, leading to recurring disputes over power-sharing and control of resources. ■
