On Thursday, the Saudi-led Arab coalition, battling to restore the legitimacy of the government of Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, announced the restoration of calm in Aden, following clashes between the government and forces loyal to the Southern Transitional Council (STC). The fighting between allies in the campaign against the Iran-backed Al Houthi militia had, for a few days, shifted the focus from the main task at hand: Ridding Yemen of the malign influence of the Al Houthi militia, whose activities have brought such hardships to the Yemeni people. Seen from this perspective, the decisive move by the coalition to help refocus the war effort couldn’t have come sooner.
The war against Al Houthis continues to show results, with new towns and villages falling into the hands of the legitimate government with every passing week. Some of the most effective army fighters in this war have come from the south. The chief of the STC said in an interview last Tuesday that the grouping is committed to the fight against Al Houthis.
The UAE and Saudi Arabia have sent a top military and security delegation to the site of the clashes in Aden, to help monitor the implementation of the ceasefire. No one should be left in any doubt that as far as the coalition is concerned, the goal in Yemen is the same: Preserving the integrity of the Yemeni state, and not letting it fall into the hands of illegal non-state actors, like Al Houthis. Both Hadi, and his Prime Minister, Ahmad Bin Dagher, will stay on in their posts.
The need of the hour is to show a united front, in line with the broader aims.
