No war, no peace.. Yemen is in limbo
English - Monday 19 December 2022 الساعة 03:19 pm
Aden, NewsYemen, exclusive:
A report issued by the Arab Center Washington, D.C. - a center specializing in Middle East affairs, confirmed that Yemen today is far from peace, despite the significant reduction in military attacks after the end of the United Nations-brokered truce on October 2.
The report, prepared by researcher Afrah Nasser, confirmed that the current reality in Yemen is a state of "neither war nor peace," while the country is suffering from an economic collapse and an escalating humanitarian crisis, starting with food shortages, health problems, untreated trauma, and large-scale displacement.
The report indicated that the Houthis and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards thwarted the process of reaching an agreement on its renewal, which contributed to the faltering of subsequent peace talks, stressing that after the end of the armistice, the Houthis returned to launch conventional and drone attacks against civilian and vital economic targets in Yemen. This exacerbated the dire humanitarian situation in the country, especially since Yemen is classified as one of the most food insecure countries in the world.
Houthi benefit from the truce
The report emphasized that the Houthis remain one of the biggest beneficiaries of the recent UN armistice, as most of their conditions have been met, including the end of the Saudi-led coalition air strikes and the opening of Sana'a International Airport and the port of Hodeidah. However, the Houthis refuse to make concessions in return, and remain reluctant to end their siege of Taiz governorate, which was one of the terms of the truce
In her report, the researcher emphasized that the Houthis are in fact trying to maximize their gains by setting conditions for peace, such as paying the "legitimate government" to pay the salaries of public sector employees, including their security and military forces. Yemeni experts and international diplomats have described the Houthis as spoilers of peace. For example, the US Special Envoy for Yemen, Tim Lenderking, remarkably stated on December 6 that it is the Houthis who are "walking away from peace."
And it reported that the fortified military capacity of the Houthis is fueling their gains, and it is clear that they have no plans to stop. In addition to carrying out drone attacks on government ports, the group in December threatened any foreign oil and gas companies operating in Yemen if they plundered "the wealth of the Yemeni people."
She stressed that the most tragic thing is that the cessation of hostilities on a large scale creates a favorable environment for the Houthis to continue waging their parallel war on personal freedoms and basic human rights. Indeed, the calm has enabled them to shift their focus towards escalating their political repression.
Mine is the biggest danger
The report indicated that despite the period of relative calm during the armistice period, which lasted for 6 months. However, internal dynamics and armed violence continue to shatter the lives of Yemenis, explaining that landmines planted in many parts of the country remain among the most destructive and deadly weapons used in the conflict, and their presence requires immediate and comprehensive action.
In the past six years, nearly 2,000 civilians have been killed and nearly 3,000 buildings damaged by landmines, the report added. A stark reminder of the danger these weapons pose is the explosion of a landmine on December 6 that struck an armored vehicle carrying UN officials during a field visit in Yemen's Hudaydah Governorate, an explosion in which no one was fortunately injured. And so the civil war continues, despite the perception that the country is experiencing its longest period of calm yet.
The report called on the international community to move away from trying to freeze the conflict, and to work to show more courage in dealing with the measures taken by the various parties in the civil war, which delay the settlement of the conflict and deepen the unspeakable suffering of civilians in Yemen.
Weakness of the legitimate government
Researcher Afrah Nasser confirmed in her report that with the emergence of new attempts to revive the collapsed peace settlements, the role of the legitimate government continues to weaken in them, noting that the response of the legitimate forces to a series of major attacks by the Houthis during the months of October and November on an oil tanker near the Dabbah oil station in Hadramout governorate Yemeni and on many ports in the areas under his ineffective control.
"Instead of ensuring the availability of an appropriate and strong mechanism to defend against such attacks, the legitimacy's response was only to issue a decree on October 23 classifying the armed Houthi group as a terrorist organization, an act that ultimately had no serious repercussions," she said.
And it added, "In the current situation, in which there is no war and yet there is no peace, fuel and energy facilities are likely to constitute a new battleground between the armed group and the legitimate forces. Houthi attacks on fuel targets in government-controlled areas disrupted the flow of fuel, Aden governorate, where the seat of government is located, has been suffering for several days from power outages due to an acute shortage of fuel.
popular discontent
And the report of the Arab Center, Washington, DC, confirmed that public dissatisfaction with the legitimate government has recently reached a high level. Earlier this month, leaked official documents provided details about scholarships the government offered to relatives of its officials, including a relative of Rashad al-Alimi, head of the government's executive body, the Presidential Leadership Council, without any legitimate reason or advantage. Given the endless hurdles Yemeni students face in obtaining such scholarships, the publication of this information has understandably followed widespread condemnation from across Yemen.
The Arab Center, through researcher Afrah Nasser, asked a question: Does the government still have the ability to play a vital role in any possible peacemaking process? Although its role in the next chapter in resolving the conflict and its public popularity has greatly diminished, she noted that one of the main factors that has enabled the government to survive so far is the fact that it is still recognized by the international community as the legitimate representative of the Yemeni people.
Giving women a chance to make peace
In her report, researcher Afrah Nasser called for stakeholders to think about ending the conflict in Yemen, and to give women an opportunity to join the peacemaking process by establishing mechanisms that facilitate their political participation in all peace efforts.
She said: Making statements in support of women's political participation sounds great, but the most important thing is to create effective mechanisms to bring about this change. Despite widespread sexism and male chauvinism in all walks of life in Yemen, Yemeni women have proven to be diligent and hardworking, with humanitarian awareness and a peace-loving spirit.
The researcher emphasized that any peace process would not be complete without the involvement of women, youth, local civil society organizations, and marginalized minorities. Their inclusion should not be a mere decoration or a good photo op, but instead should mark a meaningful step towards their genuine participation in defining the country's future.
Accountability of spoilers of peace efforts
The report stressed the need for important steps to be taken to end the conflict in Yemen, including ending the practice of granting diplomatic impunity to those working to spoil peace efforts. And the American envoy should Lenderking. and the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg. And the UK's ambassador to Yemen, Richard Oppenheim, along with other European diplomats, officials from Oman, and any other stakeholders who participate in regular meetings with parties to the conflict in Yemen, will hold those working to prevent peace to account.
As Lenderking stated in December, referring to the Houthis, "It is the responsibility of the international community to hold them accountable." One of the starting points could be punishing the officials of groups that work to thwart peace efforts.
Peace takes courage
The Arab Center report, prepared by researcher Afrah Nasser, concluded by saying that resolving the conflict and civil war in Yemen, which has been going on for nearly a decade, requires political courage from the legitimate government, the Southern Transitional Council, and the Houthis. Only meaningful negotiations with the participation of all relevant Yemeni actors can address the root causes of the civil war and eventually pave the way for lasting peace. Most importantly, peacemaking efforts must adopt a critical approach that goes beyond simply pausing conflict. The last thing the Yemeni people need is an incomplete peace. What they need is a definite and permanent end to the conflict.
