A/HRC/45/CRP.7 Muslim Brotherhood and the terrorist groups of Islamic State and Al-Qaeda”. The UAE further announced that “it will continue its air operations in Yemen”.662 5. The Deputy Chief of Staff of the UAE Armed Forces announced a shift from what he called a ‘direct proximity’ strategy - implemented by the UAE Armed Forces for five years from the launch of the Decisive Storm Operation - to an ‘indirect proximity’ strategy as implemented by Yemeni forces formed, trained and equipped by the UAE, saying “[t]hese forces must liberate Yemeni lands”.663 The forces equipped and trained by the UAE include the Security Belt forces and the Shabwah and Hadramaut elite forces, which are currently affiliated with the Southern Transitional Council. In addition, there are the UAE equipped and trained Giants brigades, Tuhama brigade and Tariq forces on the west coast, AlHudaydah and west of Ta‘izz. 6. Participation of the UAE Armed forces in Yemen within the Saudi-led Coalition has included Land forces, the Presidential Guard Command under Major General Michael Simon Hindmarsh,664 Special Forces, Air Forces & Air Defense, and the Naval Forces. 7. UAE Land Forces, Presidential Guard Command, and Special Forces have participated in 15 taskforces with more than 15,000 soldiers in various cities and governorates of Yemen, engaging in more than 130,000 air sorties and more than 500,000 flying hours. The Naval Forces participated in 3 naval taskforces involving more than 50 naval warships, more than 3,000 personnel and more than 1000 naval missions.665 The main actors are as follows: Serial Name Position 1 Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed al- Deputy Supreme Nahyan‫الشيخ محمد بن زايد آل نهيان‬ Commander 2 Mohammed bin Rashid alMaktoum666 Remarks Minister of Defence ‫الشيخ محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم‬ 3 Lieutenant General Hamad Mohammed Thani al-Romaithi Chief of Staff of the Armed Forces 3 January 2005 Deputy Chief of Staff Joint Operations Commander 667 ‫فريق ركن حمد محمد ثاني الرميثي‬ 4 Major General Eisa Saif alMazrouei ‫لواء ركن مهندس عيسى سيف المزروعي‬ 662 Lieutenant General Eisa Saif al-Mazrouei, Joint Operations Commander in Yemen and Deputy Chief of Staff of UAE Armed Forces brief, 9 February 2020. Available at: https://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395302822487 663 “The UAE today celebrated the participation of its brave sons in the Arab Coalition Forces in Yemen”. ABU DHABI, 9th February, 2020 (WAM). Available at: https://wam.ae/en/details/1395302822487 664 Following his retirement from the Australian Army, Hindmarsh accepted the positions of Special Advisor – National Security to the United Arab Emirates, and major general in charge of the United Arab Emirates Presidential Guard. See: https://www.royalnavy.mod.uk/news-and-latestactivity/news/2013/october/15/131015-sea-khanjar 665 “The UAE today celebrated the participation of its brave sons in the Arab Coalition Forces in Yemen”. ABU DHABI, 9th February, 2020 (WAM). Available at: https://wam.ae/en/details/1395302822487 666 See: https://uaecabinet.ae/en/details/news/ chief-of-staff-of-armed-forces-promoted-to-the-rank-ofminister. 667 Ibid. 115