The United Arab Emirates has strongly denied allegations that it operates secret detention centres in southern Yemen, dismissing the claims as politically motivated amid growing tensions with Saudi-backed Yemeni officials. The accusations surfaced on Tuesday, further deepening the rift between the Gulf allies following recent clashes between UAE- and Saudi-supported forces in the region.
In a statement, the UAE defence ministry described the allegations as “deliberate fabrications” and a “blatant attempt to advance political agendas at the expense of truth”. The denial came a day after officials from Yemen’s Hadramawt province claimed that “a number of secret prisons used by Emirati forces” had been uncovered, remarks made during briefings with foreign media invited by the Saudi-backed Yemeni government.
The controversy follows fighting in southern Yemen that led Abu Dhabi to pull out its remaining troops. Although Saudi Arabia and the UAE jointly entered the Yemen war in 2015 to combat Iran-backed Houthi rebels, the two countries later found themselves supporting rival factions in the south. Tensions escalated last month when UAE-backed separatists advanced in Hadramawt and Mahra provinces before being pushed back by Saudi air strikes and allied ground forces.
Responding to the accusations, the UAE defence ministry said the “facilities referred to are merely military accommodation, operations rooms and fortified shelters, some of which are located underground”. It added that “the attempt to implicate the United Arab Emirates in such allegations raises serious questions about the true motives and parties behind the promotion of these falsehoods”.
As the dispute unfolds, Saudi Arabia is seeking to consolidate its influence in government-controlled southern Yemen, while the Houthis continue to hold northern regions where most of the country’s population resides.
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