The legitimate government of Yemen is close to collapsing as Al Houthi rebels, supported by forces loyal to the previous president, Ali Abdullah Saleh, storm the south. Having held the north and capital Sana’a for some months, Al Houthi forces have recently captured the airport and military base in Taiz, the gateway to the south, and there are now clashes between Al Houthis and government forces in Lahej, just north of Aden, where President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi has been based since he fled Sana’a.
There were rumours yesterday that Hadi may have left Yemen, which would leave his supporters in a parlous state. But it is certain that he has urged the United Nations Security Council and Arab League to back military action by “willing countries” against the Al Houthi rebels. In making his plea for intervention, he is referring to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in general and the Saudis in particular who have recently massed forces on the Yemen border.
An active military contribution from Saudi Arabia with GCC backing would provide immediate and valuable support to Hadi’s government, which would weaken the rebel’s position and provide valuable breathing space for Hadi’s legitimate government to recover and strike back.
Former president Ali Abdullah Saleh never really accepted his dismissal from the presidency and his recent decision to openly back the Al Houthis is significant. He offers a rallying point for disaffected Yemenis, who may not trust the Al Houthis and their working alliance with Iran, but have known Saleh during his decades of authority. They may well hope that he can return the country to the precarious balance of power that had offered the illusion of stability.
But the recent bombing of a Zaidi mosque in Sana’a by Daesh (self-proclaimed Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant) affiliates raises the stark horror of growing sectarian savagery, which Saleh’s old style of playing all sides against each other cannot cope with. There is no substitute for good governance by a legitimate government.
