The Socotra Crisis: UAE-Yemen Tensions are Rising

The conflict in Yemen places Socotra at the center of a new power struggle between the weakened Yemeni government and the geopolitical ambitions of its ally, the United Arab Emirates

The Socotra Crisis: UAE-Yemen Tensions are Rising

Archive photo: AP

Yemeni security officials said that on May 2, 2018, United Arab Emirates (UAE) cargo flights had unloaded tanks, armored transports, heavy equipment and more than 100 troops in Yemen's Socotra Island. The next day, UAE forces have occupied sea and airports of the island.

Unconfirmed reports claim that President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi leased the strategically important Socotra and nearby Abd al-Kuri island to the UAE for 99 years before fleeing the country for Riyadh in 2014.

The UAE confirmed on May 15, 2017, that it uses Socotra as a base for operations and military training of Yemeni militias.

The deployment of Emirati troops coincided with a rare visit to the island by Ahmed Obeid bin Daghr, Yemen's prime minister, and ten ministers. UAE soldiers blocked Daghr and his delegation from leaving the island.

Meanwhile, the UAE state minister for foreign affairs, Anwar Gargash, highlighted in a tweet the "historical links" between his country and Socotra. "We have historical and family links with the residents of Socotra and we will back them during Yemen's ordeal which was sparked by the Houthis," he said.

A Saudi delegation arrived at Socotra in a bid to defuse tensions. The delegation led by Saudi General Ahmed Abderrahman al-Shiri met with Yemeni Prime Minister Ahmed bin Dagher in the presence of an Emirati official. The Yemeni government and Socotra officials informed the delegation of the recent developments in the island.

The Island of Socotra

The island of Socotra is located 300 km off the coast of Yemen in the Gulf of Aden, near Somalia. Socotra’s 60,000 inhabitants have lived in harmony with nature for thousands of years, almost completely isolated from the outside world. Socotra is known for its dragon's blood trees, white beaches and unique flora and fauna, which earned it the title of UNESCO world heritage site. Since 2000, nearly 70 percent of the Socotra archipelago has been protected by a UN plan as a natural reserve, prohibiting construction on much of the island.  

The conflict in Yemen places Socotra at the center of a new power struggle between the weakened Yemeni government and the geopolitical ambitions of its ally, the United Arab Emirates. The UAE is part of a coalition led by Saudi Arabia that has been battling the Iran-aligned Houthi armed group for three years to restore President Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power in Yemen. Hadi's government and the UAE are formal allies in a war against Yemen's Houthi rebels. Relations between Hadi and the UAE has soured due to the latter's expanding influence in southern Yemen. Hadi has previously accused the UAE of behaving like an occupier, and the Hadi government says the UAE action in Socotra is an act of hostility.

Summary

The UAE has been a pillar of the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, and the UAE has worked closely with the Yemeni army and trained southern troops. Recently, the UAE has distanced itself from Hadi, and it now backs separatists who wrenched control of the south from Hadi in January 2018. President Hadi in return has accused UAE officials of behaving like occupiers in Yemen.

The UAE's move to exert control over Socotra is seen as the latest move by the Gulf state to spread its influence well beyond its borders across the Red Sea and Horn of Africa regions. The UAE had been actively cementing its presence in Socotra since the very beginning of the Saudi-led war on Yemen in March 2015. 

The island is situated off the coast of Somaliland, where the UAE has invested heavily in the commercial port of Berbera. It also occupied the Yemeni islet of Perim, previously under control of Houthi rebels, in the Bab al-Mandab Strait. A new port on Socotra could uptick maritime commercial business in the Red Sea region amid on-going threats posed by the Houthi armed group. The Houthis continue to control the strategic port at Hudaydah, which the Saudi-led coalition has long sought to retake.