# UAE-backed STC seized government facilities on Socotra

Date: 2020

On 20 June 2020, UAE-backed separatists of the Southern Transitional Council seized government facilities and military bases on Yemen’s Socotra archipelago, deposed its governor and drove out forces of the internationally recognized government, which condemned the takeover as a “full-fledged” coup, Reuters reported the next day. The STC and the government were nominal allies in the Saudi-led coalition fighting the Houthis, a coalition the UAE helped lead; Socotra’s governor, Ramzi Mahroos, accused Saudi Arabia and the UAE of turning a blind eye, and Reuters noted that the UAE had previously backed STC forces with airstrikes against government troops in the south. Associated Press reporting from 19 June described fierce clashes in the island capital and identified the armed unit as funded by the United Arab Emirates; witnesses reported explosions and shells in the city centre, with no immediate casualty figure. The takeover followed the STC’s 2019 fighting in Aden and its April 2020 self-rule declaration. At the time, the UAE foreign ministry identified [Mohamed bin Zayed](/people/mohamed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan) as Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. The UAE foreign ministry did not respond to Reuters’ request for comment, and neither Reuters nor AP reported a personal order from Mohamed bin Zayed for the assault.

## People

- Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan: https://factrail.ai/people/mohamed-bin-zayed-al-nahyan

## Drivers

- Rule of Law: https://factrail.ai/drivers/rule-of-law

## Sources

- https://nz.news.yahoo.com/fighting-reportedly-erupts-yemens-unesco-214403961.html
- https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jun/21/yemen-separatists-seize-island-of-socotra-from-saudi-backed-government
- https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/mediahub/news/2020/1/3/03-01-2020-uae-discussion

## Methodology

https://factrail.ai/methodology

Canonical: https://factrail.ai/facts/ae-stc-socotra-takeover-2020