‘Wanted For Treason’: How Aidarous Al-Zubaidi Betrayed Yemen And His Own Cause – OpEd |
At a time when he should have acted like a statesman and boarded the plane scheduled to take him to Riyadh on Tuesday evening to meet and shake hands with Yemeni President Rashad Al-Alimi — agreeing to prioritize the interests of the Yemeni people and seek forgiveness for actions taken for personal gain at the expense of the nation — Aidarous Al-Zubaidi chose instead a “no-show,” cementing his image as a traitor to his country. Not only that, but he confirmed this by opening weapons depots and attempting to incite chaos in an “after me, the deluge” fashion. This was revealed by Yemeni Information Minister Moammar Al-Eryani a few days ago in a post on X, where he exposed these destabilizing actions.
For those unfamiliar with him, Al-Zubaidi is the head of the Southern Transitional Council, which seeks the secession of southern Yemen. Despite efforts by the Yemeni government and the Coalition to Support Legitimacy in Yemen to contain him for years — and despite many, including other southern representatives, disagreeing with his approach to the matter — Al-Zubaidi acted as an opponent and saboteur of the Yemeni government, even while serving within it as a prominent member.
Although Saudi Arabia, which leads the coalition, has affirmed the legitimacy of the southern cause and its commitment to supporting whatever Yemenis agree upon, Al-Zubaidi chose narrow self-interest, aligning with foreign powers at the expense of his........