How Did Military Situation Explode in Yemen’s Socotra?

Saudi Arabia is condoning entering into a confrontation with the Emirates over the Yemeni island of Socotra, where the UAE authorities have always carried out various activities in order to impose their control on the island. This cannot continue for a long time with an ongoing conflict.

The forces present in Socotra entered in 2017 within the forces of the so-called Saudi-led coalition, then Saudi Arabia strengthened, with its prediction of conflict there, its military forces up to 1000 soldiers. Forces from the so-called Southern Transition Council (STC) have been recruited -the UAE is the one that recruits and supervises all of the forces affiliated with the STC. Also there are the Islah Party and the Hadi forces , that form an alliance on the island.

The conflict started immediately after the removal of the former governor of Socotra, who was loyal to the STC, and the appointment of a new governor loyal to the Islah party, or even one of the Islah members.

The UAE, as usual, carried out a very large military, social and commercial activity. It wanted to show that it is the one who should control these islands. Saudi Arabia, in turn, overlooked a great deal to this activity, but the military situation exploded when former Prime Minister of Hadi government, Ahmed Obaid bin Dagher, visited this island to open a project. He spoke in a language that the UAE thought there was a tendency to confront them. They besieged him and then expelled him. Saudi Arabia then intervened as a mediator between the UAE and the group of Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi, as this conflict continued.

The Saudi strategy, which was demonstrated in all the southern governorates and in the overall conflict, is that Riyadh does not want to confront the Emirates. It is embroiled in a dispute with it, but it wants to preserve a certain part of the relationship.

Translated Analysis, Alalam website