Somalia says it is investigating Yemen separatist leader flight via Mogadishu

Yemen separatist leader flees, avoids Riyadh talks to tackle southern crisis

A billboard displays an image of Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the leader of Yemen's Southern Transitional Council (STC), who, according to the Saudi-backed coalition, fled to an unknown destination, in Aden, Yemen January 7, 2026. REUTERS/Fawaz Salman

Source: REUTERS

Somalia's immigration and citizenship agency said on Thursday that it had launched an investigation after the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen accused the United Arab Emirates of spiriting a separatist leader out of the country via Mogadishu airport.

The Saudi-led coalition said that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, head of a UAE-backed southern separatist group, had left Yemen by boat for Somaliland, before boarding an aircraft to Mogadishu that was later tracked to a military airport in Abu Dhabi.

Somalia said it was investigating whether its airport had been used illegally.

This article was produced by Reuters news agency. It has not been edited by Global South World.

By Reuters