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Somalia says it is investigating Yemen separatist leader flight via Mogadishu

By Thomson Reuters Jan 8, 2026 | 9:35 AM

MOGADISHU, Jan 8 (Reuters) – Somalia’s immigration and citizenship agency ‍said on Thursday that it had launched an investigation after the Saudi-led coalition ‌in Yemen accused ‌the United Arab Emirates of spiriting a separatist leader out of the ​country via Mogadishu airport.

The Saudi-led ‍coalition said ​that Aidarous al-Zubaidi, ​head of a ‍UAE-backed southern separatist group, had left Yemen by boat for Somaliland, before boarding ‍an aircraft to Mogadishu that was later tracked ‍to ‍a military ​airport in Abu ​Dhabi.

Somalia ⁠said it was ‌investigating whether its airport had been used illegally.

(Reporting by Nairobi newsroom; Editing by Alex ⁠Richardson)