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Conflict Database Yemen
Conflict Database Yemen
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Origin of the conflict
Until 1962, North Yemen was ruled by an Imamate of the Houthi’s, whom belong to the Zaidi sect of Islam. Since the Imamate has been abolished, the social status of the Houthi’s has diminished significantly, while other groups within Yemen became more powerful. The region in which the Houthi’s are concentrated (Saada) is economically underdeveloped. Furthermore, the Zaidi sect (where to, among others, the Houthi’s belong) feel threatened by the increasing influence of Salafi groups in North Yemen, as these Salafi groups stigmatise the Zaidis. On top of this, the Houthi’s reject the alignment of the Yemeni government with the US in the War on Terror. Due to all these factors, the Houthi’s became more outspoken in their opposition against the Yemeni government. When the Yemeni government tried to arrest Husein Al-Huthi (a prominent Houthi leader), Houthi rebels clashed with government troops. As a result, the Yemeni government decided to launch a military campaign in the Saada region. This military campaign has aggravated the situation, as the destruction of entire villages and infrastructure by army shelling and air bombardments has amplified grievances among civilians in all Northern governorates. Some civilians, who initially did not sympathise with the Houthi rebels, have taken up their arms as they want to prove their solidarity with fellow citizens, relatives or tribesmen harmed in the fighting. The Houthi rebels are also responsible for the instability in the northern governorates, as they are engaged in brutal acts, looting and kidnapping. Chronological timeframe
Yemeni government: The Yemeni government, headed by President Salih, accuses the Houthi rebels of ‘undermining the state and trying to restore the old Imamate’. Therefore, the Yemeni government claims that the large-scale military campaign is inevitable, as the Houthi rebels are trying to overthrow the government. In addition, the Yemeni government has labelled the Houthi’s rebels as terrorist, accusing them of ‘preparing attacks against Western interest, planning to kidnap foreign diplomats, spraying acid on unveiled women, poisoning water reserves, murdering officials and bombing public places’. Houthi rebels: The Houthi rebels reject the claim of the Yemeni government that they are trying to restore the old Imamate. Instead, they claim that they ‘fight to reverse the political, economical and religious marginalisation of the Zaydi community’. The Houthi rebels do not form a unitary group and could be divided in four sections. The first section is a minority within the rebel group that has a political program and rallies around anti-Western slogans. The second section primarily tries to defend the religious freedom of the Zaydis. The third section consists of armed men, who solely have financial motivations to participate in the clashes with the Yemeni government. The fourth section is formed by tribesmen, who try to defend their families and villages against state violence. Saudi-Arabia: Throughout the years, the Houthi rebels have accused Saudi-Arabia several times of funding the Yemeni government and some hostile tribal groups in the Northern governorates. Saudi-Arabia denies these claims. In November 2009, Saudi-Arabia became directly involved in the conflict when the Houthi rebels seized Saudi territory bordering North Yemen. The Houthi rebels claimed that this territory was used by the Yemeni government to conduct attacks against them. The Saudi army responded to the attack of the Houthi rebels with massive bombardments by air and artillery. They succeeded in capturing the seized Saudi territory. Iran: The Yemeni government accuses the Iranian government of ‘supporting the Houthi rebels by sending them weapons and money’. The Houthi rebels deny that there is any support of the Iranian government. Western and other diplomats based in Yemen claim that there is no direct Iranian involvement in the conflict, although they concede that some non-governmental organisations (NGO’s) within Iran could be involved in the conflict. Response of the international community During the first years of the conflict, the international community remained passive. This passivity has been caused by the lack of information, as diplomats, journalists and researchers are denied access to Saada and the surrounding area. Furthermore, the anti-Western stance and the alleged ties of the Houthi-rebels with Iran have alienated many governments from the rebel group. However, the international community has supported the meditation efforts of Qatar and has successfully pressed the Yemeni government to improve combat zone access for NGO’s and UN agencies. Sources Alertnet/Reuters (2010a), 23 February 2010, ‘Yemen rebels say 2 captive soldiers dead-TV’, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE61M266.htm. Alertnet/Reuters (2010b), 23 February , 2010, ‘Top Yemen al Qaeda leader threatens US attacks-web’, http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/LDE61M2FK.htm. BBC (2009), 29 November 2009, ‘Saudi Arabia ‘clears’ key area of Yemeni rebels’, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8385239.stm BBC (2010), 10 February 2010, ‘Yemen rebels begin handover of Saudi Arabian soldiers’, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8515903.stm BBC (2010), 11 February 2010, ‘Yemen declares truce with northern rebels’, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/8511705.stm. ICG (2009),‘Yemen: Defusing the Saada time bomb’, Middle East Report, Vol. 86, 27 May 2009. Available on: http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?action=login&ref_id=6113. |
