 SANAA, Yemen: A long-simmering power struggle between Yemen’s Shiite insurgents and former president Ali Abdullah Saleh has burst into the open, threatening to undermine their alliance against the internationally-recognized government and its Saudi-led Coalition backers.
Armed men suspected of links to the rebels on Sunday tore up poster portraits of Saleh and his son and one-time heir Ahmed in Sanaa, Yemen’s capital.
The vandalism took place in a part of the city where Saleh’s Popular Conference party is due to hold celebrations on Thursday marking the 35th anniversary of its founding. Adding to the tension, an unusually high number of armed men could be seen in Sanaa on Sunday, fueling fears that the two sides may clash on the streets of the capital.
Saleh has complained that the rebels, known as Houthis, have sidelined him and his loyalists, leaving them out of military and political decisions, as well as UN-sponsored negotiations to end Yemen’s civil war.
Rebel leader Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi made thinly-veiled charges against Saleh and his loyalists late Saturday, saying his rebels have been “stabbed in the back while fighting the enemy in good faith.”
Without mentioning Saleh or forces loyal to him by name, he suggested that they were not fighting pro-government forces in earnest.
“Look who is on the front lines? Visit the graves (of fallen fighters) to see who is buried there and where they come from?” he said.
In a recorded address scheduled to be broadcast later on Sunday, Saleh dismissed the charges and complained of what he called the domination of decision-making by the Houthis’ Revolutionary Committees instead of the National Salvation government the two sides have jointly set up.
The rift between the Houthis and Saleh adds another layer to the vexing complexities of Yemen’s ruinous civil war.
Yemen’s civil war began in 2014, when the Houthis and their allies swept down from the country’s north and captured Sanaa. The Saudi-led coalition has waged a blistering air campaign since March 2015, seeking to dislodge the Houthis and restore the internationally recognized government, which has been confined to the southern port city of Aden for the past two years.
The war has killed over 10,000 civilians, displaced 3 million people, and pushed the country to the brink of famine. An outbreak of cholera has killed 2,000 people and infected an estimated 500,000, according to the UN’s World Health Organization.
More UN finger wagging at the Yemeni combatants
DUBAI: Internal strains afflicting both sides in Yemen’s conflict have deepened, as the UN warned that the failure of the country’s political elites to settle their differences has prolonged the suffering of millions already beset by famine and disease.
In a briefing on Sunday, UN envoy to Yemen Ould Cheikh Ahmed said the intractable two-year-old conflict was exposing ordinary people to death and hardship.
“Yemen today continues to traverse a critical and agonizing period as civilians pay a terrible price of an unending power struggle,” Ould Cheikh Ahmed said.
“Those who survive the fighting face death by famine or disease as the economic situation continues to deteriorate ... The political tensions in Yemen continue to undermine the state institutions on which many Yemenis depend.”
The internationally recognized government based in the southern city of Aden has yet to impose its writ over a kaleidoscope of armed factions there, one of which camped out with its weapons in a protest at a main square on Sunday.
Angry about the mysterious assassination of a local commander, the militia traded gunfire with security forces.
President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and most of the government remain in exile due to security threats in Aden while the central bank complained last week that it has no access to cash badly needed to shore up the economy.
Ruling from the capital Sanaa in the north, the government’s foes in the Iran-aligned Houthi movement, also known as Ansar Allah, appeared to fall out with a major ally over the worsening economic crisis.
Its leader launched an unprecedented verbal broadside against its main military and political partner on Sunday over the course of the two-year war, veteran ex-President Ali Abdullah Saleh, in a speech entitled “Maintaining the unity of internal ranks.”
Houthi leader accuses allies of perfidy
London – Houthi rebels’ leader Abdul Malik al-Houthi accused General People’s Congress, party of former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh, of backstabbing him and exerting “political extortion”, admitting to his group’s weaknesses.
In a 74 minutes televised speech, Houthi sent a message accusing his insurgency allies. Observers stated the alliance between Saleh and Houthi is now shaken and it is safe to say that the two are no longer as they were.
Houthi spoke after UN Special Envoy to Yemen Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed announced that Hodeidah port will be placed under the control of a third party, which also was criticized by the leader.
Yemeni Ambassador to UK Yassin Said Nomaan stated that Houthi’s speech is clearly directed at his primary ally.
Speaking to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, Nomaan described the speech as the “speech of the desperate who can’t see things clearly and is mainly complaining about things.”
During his speech, Houthi underscored the need for fighting corruption and implementing reforms in Yemen’s judiciary system to “hold back traitors.”
He added that the country is currently in a state where it is not right to extort the situation politically. He accused Saleh of using issues that were long used during internal wars and civil clashes, referring to the six wars between Houthi and Saleh.
Houthi, however, admitted to the mistakes of insurgency government institutions and corruption within the judiciary system. He stressed that corrupt officials must be held accountable even if they were Houthis, adding that if they were from within Saleh’s party it will not be acceptable for them to be covered by the party.
He stated that his members are no more than fourth of the insurgency government and declared that Houthis represent a 1 percent of civil servants.
Political analyst Najieeb Gallab considers that Houthi focused in his speech on four axis all of which include direct and indirect threats for Saleh – which reflects the bad state of Houthis on the battle fronts and in power.
Gallab stated that Houthi made it clear that he doubts Saleh’s policies in providing political initiatives and preparing for the 35th anniversary of the establishment of General People’s Congress.
He also directly accused the party of following policies that support the coalition.
In the second axis, in a defensive move, Houthi tried to pin the blame for corruption on his allies. He attempted to accuse Saleh’s party of the failure especially that people can no longer withstand Houthis’ control.
The political analyst believes that Houthi wanted to reestablish the idea that the struggle is primarily a military one and all activities of Saleh and other factions do not serve the purpose, stating that only Houthis are fighting while the rest are running media and political wars against Houthis.
He added that Houthi wanted to send a message that there are some parties serving the legitimacy and coalition’s purposes by pretending to be neutral or blaming Houthis for every problem.
The fourth point addressed in Houthi’s speech according to Gallab was the leader’s attempt to form a unified supporting bloc that can pressure Saleh’s Congress and portray Houthis as the only steadfast front against the legitimacy. Houthi also wanted to send a message that the peace promoted by Saleh’s bloc and other parties is a threat to Yemen and its interests.
Houthis didn’t just criticize their allies or the coalition, they also threw accusations over the UN Special Envoy.
In a statement following Houthi’s speech, spokesperson Mohammed Abdul Salam stated that blaming the UN, international community or the Special Envoy will not create peace. He also added that postponing and justifications will not end wars, but rather deepen the differences.
Political analyst Gallab believes that Houthi’s speech is an evident of the ongoing internal struggles between insurgency allies and that it will become political war. He added that Saleh is no longer capable of controlling objections piling within his Congress, while Houthi is aware that public discontent with them has become a pressure point against them.
Hence, according to Gallab, Houthis is trying to defend his position and blame others for this decline of situation inside Yemen. He explained that Yemeni people are aware that Houthis mean prolonged war and cause corruption.
He concluded that Yemeni citizen knows that Houthis are the main obstacle before any political solutions for the crisis, which places Houthis in big trouble. |
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
...a Zaidi Shia insurgent group operating in Yemen. They have also been referred to as the 
Yemen's future president Abdrabuh Mansour Hadi has pledged to southern separatists and northern rebels that he will address their concerns, as fears mounted over election boycotts and escalating vote-related violence.