Aidarous al-Zubaidi

Aidarous al-Zubaidi is the leader of the Southern Transitional Council (STC), a separatist group in Yemen seeking to restore the state of South Yemen, backed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). He is newsworthy due to his recent flight from Aden to the UAE, reportedly facilitated by the UAE, after Saudi-backed forces increased pressure on the STC and he failed to attend crisis talks in Riyadh. This has deepened a diplomatic row between Saudi Arabia and the UAE, with Saudi Arabia accusing the UAE of smuggling al-Zubaidi out of Yemen and of treason. Somalia has also cut ties with the UAE after al-Zubaidi illegally entered Somali airspace via Somaliland during his escape. The Yemeni government has been retaking southern areas previously controlled by the STC, diminishing the STC's influence and making the dream of an independent South Yemen less attainable.