UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council denies reports it disbanded

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council said it has not disbanded, rejecting a broadcast announcement by a member that claimed the group had dissolved; the STC said the announcement was made under coercion and that some members in Riyadh were detained.

The UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council denied on Saturday that it was disbanding, contradicting a broadcast statement by one of its members that said the group had decided to dissolve. The STC said it held an "extraordinary meeting" and declared the earlier announcement null and void, saying it had been made under coercion and pressure. An STC delegation traveled to Riyadh for talks while the group's leader, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, skipped planned meetings and left Yemen. Saudi-backed forces have largely retaken areas the STC seized in December, and Saudi officials said a flight carrying al-Zubaidi was tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi. Known details: - The STC publicly denied disbanding and said the broadcast announcement was invalid after an extraordinary meeting. - A member had announced the group would dissolve; the STC says that statement was issued under coercion. - The STC said some of its members in Riyadh were detained and were being forced to make statements. - An STC delegation is in Riyadh for talks while leader Aidarous al-Zubaidi did not attend and departed Yemen; the Saudi-led coalition accused the UAE of aiding his departure. - Authorities in Aden aligned with Yemen's Saudi-backed government ordered a ban on demonstrations citing security concerns, while the STC called for mass protests in southern cities. Summary: The conflicting statements highlight divisions within the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council and add complexity to talks taking place in Riyadh. Calls for mass protests by the STC contrast with an Aden ban on demonstrations. The status of detained members in Riyadh and the outcomes of the Riyadh talks remain unresolved.