The United Arab Emirates on Tuesday denied allegations that it operates secret prisons in southern Yemen, dismissing claims by Saudi-backed Yemeni officials as politically motivated and false, amid widening tensions between the Gulf allies.
In a statement, the UAE Ministry of Defence described the accusations as “deliberate fabrications” and a “blatant attempt to advance political agendas at the expense of truth.”
The claims, which emerged on Monday from Hadramawt province, followed recent clashes between UAE- and Saudi-backed forces that led Abu Dhabi to withdraw its remaining troops from Yemen.
Saudi Arabia and the UAE, two of the Gulf’s largest economies entered the Yemen conflict together in 2015 to combat the Iran-backed Houthi rebels, but later found themselves supporting rival factions in southern Yemen, deepening internal divisions within the coalition.
Tensions escalated last month after an advance by UAE-backed separatists in Hadramawt and Mahra provinces was repelled by Saudi air strikes and allied ground forces, marking a turning point in the rivalry.
On Monday, Hadramawt’s governor told foreign media invited by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government, including AFP, that “a number of secret prisons used by Emirati forces” had been uncovered.
Rejecting the allegation, the UAE defence ministry said the facilities in question were military accommodations, operations rooms, and fortified shelters, some of which are located underground.
“The attempt to implicate the United Arab Emirates in such allegations raises serious questions about the motives and parties behind the promotion of these falsehoods,” the statement added.
Saudi Arabia is now seeking to consolidate control over government-held areas in southern Yemen, while northern regions, home to most of the country’s population remain under Houthi control.
AFP
