Who is Aidarous al-Zubaidi? Yemen’s ‘traitor’ chief

For years, Aidarous al-Zubaidi has been the undisputed strongman of confederate Yemen, a erstwhile aerial unit serviceman who transitioned from a rebel person to a statesman courted by Western diplomats.

But connected Wednesday, his governmental trajectory took a drastic turn.

In a decree that has shaken the country’s fragile power-sharing arrangement, the president of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), Rashad al-Alimi, removed al-Zubaidi from his station arsenic assembly member, stripping him of his immunity and referring him to the nationalist authoritative connected charges of “high treason”.

The decree accuses al-Zubaidi of “forming equipped gangs”, “harming the Republic’s governmental and subject standing”, and starring a subject rebellion.

Simultaneously, the Saudi-led conjugation announced that al-Zubaidi had “fled to an chartless destination” aft failing to reply a summons to Riyadh—a assertion the Southern Transitional Council (STC) vehemently denies, insisting their person remains successful Aden.

So, who is the antheral astatine the centre of these accelerated developments successful Yemen?

(Al Jazeera)

The ‘rebel’ officer

Born successful 1967 successful the Zubayd colony of the mountainous Al-Dale governorate, al-Zubaidi’s beingness has mirrored the turbulent past of confederate Yemen.

He graduated from the aerial unit academy successful Aden arsenic a 2nd lieutenant successful 1988. However, his subject vocation was upended by the 1994 civilian war, successful which bluish forces nether then-President Ali Abdullah Saleh crushed the confederate separatist movement.

Al-Zubaidi fought connected the losing broadside and was forced into exile successful Djibouti.

He returned to Yemen successful 1996 to recovered Haq Taqreer al-Maseer (HTM), which means the Movement of Right to Self-Determination, an equipped radical that carried retired assassinations against bluish subject officials. A subject tribunal sentenced him to decease successful absentia, a ruling that stood until Saleh pardoned him successful 2000.

After years of a low-level rebellion, al-Zubaidi re-emerged during the Arab Spring successful 2011, erstwhile his question claimed work for attacks connected Yemeni service vehicles successful Al-Dale.

From politician to secessionist chief

The Houthi takeover of Sanaa successful 2014 and their consequent propulsion southbound successful 2015 provided al-Zubaidi with his biggest opening.

Leading confederate absorption fighters, helium played a pivotal relation successful repelling Houthi forces from Al-Dale and Aden. In designation of his power connected the ground, President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi appointed him politician of Aden successful December 2015.

However, the confederation was short-lived. Tensions betwixt Hadi’s authorities and confederate separatists boiled over, starring to al-Zubaidi’s dismissal successful April 2017.

Less than a period later, al-Zubaidi formed the Southern Transitional Council (STC), declaring it the morganatic typical of the confederate people. Backed by the United Arab Emirates, the STC built a formidable paramilitary unit that often clashed with authorities troops, yet seizing power of Aden.

In April 2022, successful a bid to unify the anti-Houthi front, al-Zubaidi was appointed to the eight-member Presidential Leadership Council (PLC).

A imaginativeness of ‘South Arabia’

Despite joining the unity government, al-Zubaidi ne'er abandoned his eventual goal: the restoration of the pre-1990 confederate state.

In interviews with planetary media, including United Arab Emirates state-run paper The National and Al Hurra, al-Zubaidi outlined a imaginativeness for a national “State of South Arabia”. He argued that the “peace process is frozen” and that a two-state solution was the lone viable way forward.

He besides courted contention by expressing openness to the Abraham Accords.

“If Palestine regains its rights … erstwhile we person our confederate state, we volition marque our ain decisions and I judge we volition beryllium portion of these accords,” helium told The National successful September 2025.

Most recently, connected January 2, 2026, al-Zubaidi issued a “constitutional declaration” announcing a two-year modulation play starring to a referendum connected independency – a determination that appears to person triggered his dismissal.

The last rupture

The events of January 7 people the illness of the fragile confederation betwixt the internationally recognised authorities and the STC.

Brigadier General Turki al-Maliki, spokesperson for the coalition, stated that al-Zubaidi had been distributing weapons successful Aden to “cause chaos” and had fled the state aft being fixed a 48-hour ultimatum to study to Riyadh.

Al-Maliki besides confirmed “limited preemptive strikes” against STC forces mobilising adjacent the Zind campy successful Al-Dale.

The STC has rejected these accounts. In a connection issued connected Wednesday morning, the assembly claimed al-Zubaidi is “continuing his duties from the capital, Aden”.

Instead, the STC raised the alarm astir its ain delegation successful Riyadh, led by Secretary-General Abdulrahman Shaher al-Subaihi, claiming they person mislaid each interaction with them.

“We request the Saudi authorities … warrant the information of our delegation,” the connection read, condemning the aerial strikes connected Al-Dale arsenic “unjustified escalation”.

With “high treason” charges connected the array and aerial strikes reported successful the south, al-Zubaidi’s agelong crippled for independency appears to person pushed Yemen into a unsafe caller signifier of conflict.