Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) member and Governor of Yemen's eastern Hadramout province Salem al-Khanbashi accused on Monday the United Arab Emirates of exploiting its participation in the coalition to support legitimacy in Yemen to pursue its own agenda.
Speaking at a press conference in Mukalla city, he said the UAE's actions in Hadramout were a shock to the people and local authorities.
The authorities had hoped that the UAE would act as a supporter to the Yemeni people as part of the coalition, but its actions on the ground went against those expectations, he remarked.
Hadramout has suffered from the hegemony of armed factions affiliated with Aidarous al-Zubaidi, leader of the Southern Transitional Council, with direct support from the UAE, added all-Khanbashi.
Hadramout has been liberated from al-Zubaidi and the UAE's hegemony, he stressed.
He accused groups loyal to al-Zubaidi of looting public institutions, terrorizing the people and committing wide violations against them, leading to instability in Hadramout.
He vowed that the authorities will take "all legal measures" against the UAE and al-Zubaidi's armed groups.
Justice will prevail, he declared, pledging to support the victims of the violations and hold to account the perpetrators.
Moreover, al-Khanbashi revealed that the UAE was running "several large secret prisons" in Hadramout. Explosives were also stored in the al-Riyan airbase that were going to be used to in assassinations and attacks in the province.
He said that Hadramout has closed a "dangerous and bitter chapter" in its history through direct support from Saudi Arabia.
This backing has helped restore stability, boost the state's authority and end a period of chaos and violations, he continued.