Yemen, another Arab country, is in the grip of a fierce civil war. In 2013 and inspired by the uprisings in some Arab countries, Yemeni people, too, came out in large numbers to protest against the three decades old rule of Ali Abdullah Saleh. His rule was plagued with rampant corruption and a wide-spread violation of human rights. Saleh was forced to step down and hand over power to his deputy Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi in February 2012. He pledged to help rebuild the country reeling from months of violence. But, in an act of treachery, he joined hands with the Al Houthi militia against the Hadi government that plunged that impoverished country into great turmoil.
Now, Iran’s negative role in the conflict has added fuel to the fire. Instead of strengthening the hands of exiled President Hadi, Iran chose to destabilise his government by providing arms and ammunition to the rebels, thus, disregarding its responsibilities under international law.
The situation in Yemen would not have become so explosive as to threaten even the security of the other Arab countries had it not been for Iran’s irresponsible interference. In addition, Hadi has rightly accused Iran of being obsessed with regional domination. It is also important to keep in mind the fact that Iran has got emboldened by the framework agreement reached with world powers over its nuclear programme and the prospects of lifting of the sanctions.
It is for this reason that the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) decided to come together to form a military alliance with the leadership of Saudi Arabia to support the Yemen pro-government forces with a view to help restore the internationally recognised government of Hadi. Any inaction on their behalf would have been a historic mistake.
The Yemeni conflict is proving to be as devastating as any other war. Hundreds have already been killed, thousands displaced and the infrastructure of the country have been badly damaged. The war has to come to an end. The United Nations (UN) has taken the first step in the right direction by imposing an arms embargo against the rebels. One can wish that the Saudi-led coalition achieves its objective of restoring the government of Hadi. By doing so, it will pave the way for commencing a dialogue process between all stake-holders on how to resolve the issues that have divided them and how they will live together peacefully in the future.
— The reader is an Indian procurement officer based in Abu Dhabi
