Yemeni official accuses UAE of looting cash

By Aziz al-Ahmadi

SANAA (AA) – A Yemeni official on Tuesday accused forces from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) of seizing state funds in the eastern Hadhramaut province.

Writing on Twitter, Information Ministry undersecretary Mohamed Qizan said UAE forces “broke into Al-Mukalla seaport in Hadhramaut and looted five containers of cash printed in Russia”.

He, however, failed to specify the amount allegedly seized by UAE forces.

There was no comment from UAE authorities on the accusation.

For year, the Yemeni banknotes have been printed in Russia and moved to Yemen by sea.

Violence has flared between the UAE-backed Southern Transitional Council (STC) and government forces since the former declared self-rule over Aden and other southern provinces in April.

Yemen has been devastated by a conflict that escalated in March 2015 after Iran-backed Houthi rebels seized the capital Sana’a and forced President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi to flee the country.

*Ahmed Asmar contributed to this report from Ankara