Growing Saudi-UAE dispute… How did it contribute to uncovering the coalition’s crimes in Yemen?
SANAA, Feb. 03 (YPA) – A growing dispute between Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE)—key partners in the coalition war in Yemen—is escalating beyond a struggle for influence.
This rift is now forcing into the open serious violations that their alliance had previously obscured. A cascade of accusations, documented evidence, and testimonies is revealing the scale of alleged crimes committed against the Yemeni people.
Direct Accusations Through Media
The conflict has moved into the public sphere, with Saudi Arabia leveraging major media outlets to launch unprecedented attacks on the UAE. The Saudi newspaper Al-Watan has accused the UAE of conducting “organized smuggling activities”—including trafficking weapons, drugs, and people—through the Southern Transitional Council. These actions were labeled a clear violation of international law and Yemeni sovereignty.
Escalation to Allegations of War Crimes
The dispute intensified significantly when the Saudi-backed Yemeni government’s human rights ministry formally charged the UAE, its officers, and local allies with committing “serious violations amounting to war crimes.” The specific allegations include systematic assassinations, kidnappings, enforced disappearances, and the operation of secret prisons where torture is commonplace.
Revelations of Secret Prisons and Graves
The Saudi-UAE rivalry has pushed previously concealed files to the forefront. A pro-Riyadh Commission of Inquiry uncovered shocking details, including the infrastructure of a repression network. It identified approximately six secret detention centers run by Emirati forces within civilian facilities in Hadramout governorate, such as Al-Rayyan Airport and the Republican Palace. The commission documented dozens of cases of enforced disappearance and reported on unknown graves suspected to hold the remains of victims.
These findings were corroborated by the Saudi-appointed governor of Hadramout, Salem Al-Khanbashi, who confirmed the existence of a “secret prison network” at Al-Rayyan Airport and an “Emirati arsenal of explosives” allegedly prepared for assassinations.
A Partial and Selective Picture
It is crucial to emphasize that these revelations, while significant, represent only a fraction of the violations in Yemen. All parties to the coalition and their affiliated armed factions have been implicated in committing war crimes. Saudi Arabia and its proxies have committed atrocities against the Yemeni people that are no less severe than those attributed to the UAE.
Saudi Arabia’s Ultimate Responsibility
The selective nature of these disclosures confirms they are a tool of political conflict, not a genuine pursuit of justice. As the leader of the coalition since March 2015, Saudi Arabia bears legal responsibility for the full spectrum of crimes and atrocities committed against the Yemeni people. This overarching responsibility does not, however, absolve the UAE of accountability for its own alleged crimes.
A Call to the International Community
The current exposure of the coalition’s crimes, however motivated, places a profound responsibility on the international community. It must act to:
Open an independent investigation into all coalition crimes in Yemen.
Prosec perpetrators before international courts to ensure deterrence.
Work decisively to end the war and lift the blockade on Yemen.
Finally, failure to act seriously now, with the truth revealed, would be a clear declaration of a selective international system that abandons human rights principles. Such inaction would give a green light for continued impunity and expose Yemeni civilians to further crimes.