April 9, 2022: Saudi coalition air raids in Mach 2022 – Yemen after president Hadi: New opportunities – New Presidential Council relaces President Hadi – News from Yemen's truce – and more
Schwerpunkte / Key aspects
Kursiv: Siehe Teil 2 / In Italics: Look in part 2: https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-800b-yemen-war-mosaic-800b
Klassifizierung / Classification
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Präsidialrat löst Präsident Hadi ab / Most important: New Presidential Council relaces President Hadi
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Waffenstillstand / Most important: Truce
cp2 Allgemein / General
cp2a Allgemein: Saudische Blockade / General: Saudi blockade
cp3 Humanitäre Lage / Humanitarian situation
cp4 Flüchtlinge / Refugees
cp5 Nordjemen und Huthis / Northern Yemen and Houthis
cp6 Separatisten und Hadi-Regierung im Südjemen / Separatists and Hadi government in Southern Yemen
cp7 UNO und Friedensgespräche / UN and peace talks
cp8 Saudi-Arabien / Saudi Arabia
cp8a Jamal Khashoggi
cp9 USA
cp9a USA-Iran Krise: Spannungen am Golf / US-Iran crisis: Tensions at the Gulf
cp12 Andere Länder / Other countries
cp12b Sudan
cp13a Waffenhandel / Arms trade
cp13b Kulturerbe / Cultural heritage
cp13c Wirtschaft / Economy
cp15 Propaganda
cp16 Saudische Luftangriffe / Saudi air raids
cp17 Kriegsereignisse / Theater of War
cp18 Kampf um Hodeidah / Hodeidah battle
Klassifizierung / Classification
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(Kein Stern / No star)
? = Keine Einschatzung / No rating
A = Aktuell / Current news
B = Hintergrund / Background
C = Chronik / Chronicle
D = Details
E = Wirtschaft / Economy
H = Humanitäre Fragen / Humanitarian questions
K = Krieg / War
P = Politik / Politics
pH = Pro-Houthi
pS = Pro-Saudi
T = Terrorismus / Terrorism
Für wen das Thema ganz neu ist / Who is new to the subject
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Timeline Of A Brutal War: Yemen's Seven-year Conflict
https://www.barrons.com/amp/news/timeline-of-a-brutal-war-yemen-s-seven-year-conflict-01649320207
cp1 Am wichtigsten / Most important
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YEMEN DATA PROJECT AIR RAIDS SUMMARY APRIL 2022
Saudi-led Air War Surges Before April Ceasefire
Civilian casualties per air raid increase by more than 470%
Yemen Data Project recorded a significant surge in the Saudi-led air war in the first quarter of 2022 with bombings and civilian casualty rates reaching four-year highs. Reversing trends of the last four years, air raid numbers were at their highest quarterly rate since early 2018. From January 2022 to March, civilian casualty rates in bombings reached the highest quarterly rate since July-September 2018. Civilian casualties (471) in the first quarter if 2022 were almost 40 times higher than the same period last year (12). In the first quarter of 2022 the average number of civilian casualties per air raid increased more than fivefold on the 2021 average. The recorded surge in violence coincided with the end of the only international mechanism for investigating international humanitarian law violations and war crimes in Yemen. At least 30 civilians were killed and injured in Saudi-led coalition bombings in March despite an 11% month-on-month decline in air raids.
In March, 8% of bombings hit civilian targets** and 17% hit military targets. In 75% of air raids in March the target could not be identified. Of the 45 air raids where the target could be identified, 67% were military, 33% of identifiable targets were civilian.
Of the 45 air raids where the target was identified in March 2022
2 hit a medical facilities - a medical storage unit and a health centre, injuring 10 civilians.
2 hit government compounds, killing 8 civilians including 2 women and 5 children and injuring a further 4 civilians.
1 hit a sports facility in AL-Bayda, killing 3 civilians and injuring 2.
1 hit a residential area in Al-Jawf, killing 2 civilians and injuring 1.
3 hit transport infrastructure.
1 hit a school.
Marib continues to be the most heavily bombed governorate countrywide although air raid numbers in the governorate in March were at the lowest monthly rate in 18 months. More than 56% of all air raids in the month hit the two governorates of Marib and Hajja.
March was the second month of heavy bombing in Hajja, at rates not seen in consecutive months in the governorate since February-March 2019 . For the second consecutive month the border district of Harad was the most heavily bombed district countrywide with 24 air raids recorded. Almost a quarter (23.5%) of all air raids countrywide in March hit the two districts of Harad in Hajja and Marib district of the governorate of the same name .
https://mailchi.mp/8fc4661aaa79/april2022-yemen-data-project-update-13476001
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What lies ahead for Yemen after President Hadi’s exit?
Lack of alternatives and international legitimacy kept Hadi in power regardless of being in exile and unpopular.
The end of President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi’s period in power is not being mourned by many Yemenis.
That says a lot about the presidency of a man seen as an “accidental” leader who has been unable to lead government forces effectively during a now almost-eight-year civil war that has decimated the country.
Hadi, former vice president of 33-year leader Ali Abdullah Saleh, was parachuted into the presidency in 2012 when Saleh was forced out after a year of Arab Spring protests.
He was supposed to be in power for two years and serve as a transition to full, inclusive Yemeni democracy.
Instead, Hadi turned a blind eye to the rising power of the Iran-backed Houthi rebels in the north, who eventually took the capital, Sanaa, in 2014, and forced Hadi to flee in 2015.
Hadi failed to rise to the challenge of being a wartime leader.
Stuck in Riyadh, he appeared subservient to Saudi Arabia, which was now fighting the Houthis on his behalf.
Yemenis had a silent president, one who spoke to his people on camera only a handful of times over the past few years. As war raged, salaries were unpaid and a humanitarian disaster spread.
So what kept Hadi, despite his exile and unpopularity, as president for so long?
A lack of an alternative that could be accepted by the divided anti-Houthi coalition, along with Hadi’s “legitimacy” as the internationally recognised president.
It appears now, however, that the Saudis have had enough, and decided that the alternative is in fact to group representatives from the different anti-Houthi groups into one presidential council, in the hope that it keeps them all happy.
Observers should not presume that this group of eight, announced on Thursday, will remain united.
One of them, Aidarous al-Zubaydi, believes in the secession of southern Yemen from the state and labels himself as the southern president.
The interests represented on the presidential council are bound to clash. The question is whether they will be able to stay on message and put their divisions to one side, for now.
The departure of Vice President Ali Muhsin, a powerful military man who has been influential and divisive for more than 40 years, will be welcomed by many, in particular the United Arab Emirates-backed factions in Yemen.
Muhsin has long been associated with Islah, Yemen’s Muslim Brotherhood-influenced party, which is deeply opposed by Zubaydi’s Southern Transitional Council, and other UAE-backed groups.
However, Islah will be placated by the inclusion on the presidential council of Sultan al-Aradah, the popular governor of Marib who is close to him, and the president of the council, Rashad al-Alimi, who has good relations with the party leadership.
Is this now a government that Saudi Arabia and the UAE feel they can deal with? If it is, will they now ramp up their support? And what does it mean for Yemeni sovereignty when neighbouring powers have such a hold over its government and its very makeup?
The elephant (not) in the room is of course the Houthis, who refused to attend the Riyadh talks that preceded the announcement of the presidential council.
Houthi leaders immediately denounced the presidential council, labelling it as imposed by foreigners and not representative of Yemen. The group has also argued that this further undermines the claim that the Yemeni government is legitimate.
In reality, negotiations between the Saudis and the Houthis have been ongoing for months. A two-month ceasefire went into effect this month and is a sign that there is a push, at least temporarily, for de-escalation. This was augmented further when, speaking after the formation of the presidential council, Yemen’s Saudi-backed Prime Minister Maeen Abdel Malik said the military solution in Yemen had “failed”.
That acknowledgement means that the public narrative coming from the Saudi-led coalition and the Yemeni government is that political negotiations are the only solution to the war and that is the task of the presidential council.
The question now is whether Yemen’s elites are willing to give a seat at the table to the Houthis, and whether the Houthis can even be trusted to share rule at all.
If those talks fail once again, a transformation of this political presidential council into a war council may be seen quickly – together with a continuation of this devastating conflict – by Abubakr Al-Shamahi
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/8/now-that-yemeni-president-hadi-is-out-whats-next-for-yemen
Film: https://www.aljazeera.com/program/inside-story/2022/4/8/is-the-war-in-yemen-nearing-an-end = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r0nPJg0JgQg
and
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Behind the Yemen Truce and Presidential Council Announcements
The UN has brokered a surprise truce in Yemen’s long-running war, while the country’s internationally recognised president has handed over his powers to an eight-man council. In this Q&A, Crisis Group expert Peter Salisbury explains the significance of these developments.
Was the truce expected?
It came as a surprise. That the UN was exerting efforts to negotiate a truce to coincide with the start of Ramadan was an open secret. But there was plenty of reason to be pessimistic it would succeed. The agreement’s broad contours – halting the fighting, letting fuel ships into Hodeida and reopening Sanaa airport – had been at the heart of UN mediation efforts since early 2020. Grundberg’s predecessor, Martin Griffiths, sought to broker a ceasefire around these elements to prevent a battle for Marib in both 2020 and 2021. Until now, the government and the Huthis had taken turns in blocking such an agreement.
Perhaps the bigger surprise, if the agreement’s terms outlined above are accurate, is that the parties settled for such a limited set of conditions. The Huthis have long sought to have all restrictions on trade entering Hodeida port lifted and for Sanaa airport to be opened to commercial flights from all over the world. The eighteen fuel shipments and two weekly flights are a far cry from this goal.
Moreover, both the Huthis and the government had sought a ceasefire deal that would mainly favour their side.
What should we make of the formation of the presidential council and will it affect the truce?
An important question is whether the council was formed to advance the government’s cause in the war or to sue for peace. Reading prepared comments during the GCC meeting’s closing ceremony, Yemeni Prime Minister Maen Saeed Abdulmalik, who retained his post as head of the cabinet, said delegates had agreed that there was no military solution to the war, arriving instead at a consensus behind pursuing peace with the Huthis. Several people involved in the Riyadh talks point to language in the presidential decree that charges the council with negotiating a permanent ceasefire and a comprehensive political solution to the conflict. They and GCC officials say negotiations will be a priority. Riyadh will also be aware that the council comprises rival factions and hence it will likely want to move fast before internal tensions bubble up to the surface. But some in the anti-Huthi camp are already arguing that the presidential council should work to unify military efforts instead of making peace overtures.
Why did these things happen now?
The truce and the council’s appointment are both likely results of shifts in conflict dynamics over the course of 2021 and 2022. By late 2021, the Huthis were convinced that they were poised to march into Marib and therefore deemed a truce harmful to their prospects of seizing the city and eponymous governorate. From their side, the government and its allies equated the Huthis’ terms for a ceasefire – lifting all restrictions on Hodeida port and Sanaa airport – with an assault on the government’s sovereign authority. Nor did Riyadh want to make concessions to the Huthis without a meaningful return, likely related to their demand that the group cut its ties with Iran.
The full Huthi takeover of Marib – which appeared entirely possible some months ago – never came to pass. Marib’s fall to the Huthis would have given the group access not only to Yemen’s main oil fields but also to a swathe of desert bordering Saudi Arabia.
The Huthis also increased the frequency of their attacks on Saudi Arabia, most recently hitting an oil storage depot in Jeddah just ahead of a Formula 1 race in the city. Riyadh responded with more airstrikes on Sanaa and other populated areas, increasing the risk of mass civilian casualties that would draw more censure from abroad. These events created a broad military equilibrium for the first time in several years. Meanwhile, the economy in both government- and Huthi-held areas has been badly affected by the price spikes in global commodity markets set off by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions that provoked. Fuel shortages in Huthi areas have become more and more acute, in part because of the embargo.
By the time the UN mediated the truce, in other words, both sides were hurting and stood to gain from at least a temporary pause. Riyadh has long said it wants a negotiated solution to the war and has been under pressure from the U.S. to find a way to end the conflict. But it was clear that a solution would not be possible with Hadi at the helm. In principle, the council’s formation should provide the Huthis with a credible negotiating partner, though whether it will lead to serious talks is far from clear. Thus far, the rebels have mocked the council and say they will negotiate only with the Saudis.
What do Yemenis think about the truce and the council?
Responses are mixed. Exhausted by the war, most ordinary Yemenis want to believe the truce can hold. Many of the people Crisis Group has spoken to, even those who are vehemently anti-Huthi, are excited by the idea that Sanaa airport will reopen along with key roads and highways. A functioning airport would allow the sick to travel abroad for medical treatment, while greater freedom of movement will let families reunite and improve the economic and humanitarian situation, particularly for those stuck in besieged Taiz. The riyal, which has collapsed in value against the dollar, has appreciated marginally since the truce announcement.
Yet pessimism is pervasive. Many people believe that the parties agreed to the truce merely as a tactical pause and are not ready for serious peace talks that could lead to a formal and perhaps longer-lasting ceasefire. The Saudis are widely rumoured to have forced the government into the agreement. If they did, the deal may not hold as the government seeks to stymie its implementation. As for the Huthis, their rivals claim that the group agrees to truces or talks only when it benefits them to do so, in order to regroup for future attacks. Many in the anti-Huthi camp believe the Huthis will break the truce soon in order to renew their assault on Marib – or use the truce to prepare for another attack shortly after the two months elapse.
A common refrain among social media commentators is that the truce is “Stockholm 2.0”, a reference to the 2018 UN-brokered Stockholm Agreement.
So far, the presidential council’s reception has been largely positive among anti-Huthi groups, which tired long ago of Hadi’s sclerotic, self-serving rule and saw a government shake-up as badly needed. But the welcome is not unanimous. Some factions of Islah, Yemen’s main Sunni Islamist party, which is prominent in defending Marib and Taiz cities, have expressed concern that the council is designed to dilute their group’s influence and argued that Hadi’s decree establishing it is unconstitutional.
Will the truce hold?
A large gap remains between the sides as to what a political settlement should look like and how to get there. Even the limited truce agreement will be hard to keep in place. The UN will not formally monitor the truce, and authorities in Marib have already accused the Huthis of violating it.
If no flights arrive in Sanaa soon, the Huthis may accuse the UN of letting the truce fail. The rebels regularly accuse the UN of bias toward their rivals.
By the same token, if no progress is made on Taiz, many in the anti-Huthi camp are likely to accuse the UN of brokering a deal designed to benefit the rebels.
A more optimistic reading is that the Saudis – who clearly were instrumental in making the truce possible, even if they are not a formal party to it – and the Huthis agreed to the truce independently of one another and did so because they saw it as beneficial rather than because they were under outside pressure.
With the conflict in balance, there is no single pressure point that would disproportionally favour one side or the other. For both, the upside of halting the conflict is clear and either can resume fighting any time it likes.
What needs to happen next?
The UN needs to move fast to get fuel shipments into Hodeida and flights moving in and out of Sanaa. It also needs to prove it is serious about reopening Taiz. Finally, it needs to try getting the new presidential council in a room with the Huthis. Patience is likely to wear thin among Yemenis by the end of the first month of the two-month truce.
Getting to a ceasefire and political talks – both of which are imperative – is unlikely if the truce cannot be sustained and expanded. The anti-Huthi camp, meanwhile, will be aware that the new council risks being racked with infighting the longer it lasts, and should push at a minimum for an interim political settlement that ends the fighting and allows Yemen’s rival factions to attempt to resolve their differences through talks – by Peter Salisbury
Main points in thread: https://twitter.com/peterjsalisbury/status/1512438590717976582
and
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Hadi Out, Presidential Council Takes Over
Sana’a Center senior experts Maged al-Madhaji, Maysaa Shuja al-Deen and Abdulghani al-Iryani react to the change at the top of Yemen’s internationally recognized government, and look ahead to what it means for the future of the conflict in Yemen.
Council Must be Ready to Govern, Negotiate and Fight
Maged al-Madhaji
The creation of a new leadership council is the house-cleaning the internationally recognized government has long needed. President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi had lost the support of virtually every party backing the fight to restore legitimate authority in the war. Under his watch, key territory was lost to Houthi forces over the past two years. He was increasingly frail and detached from the job, which became especially problematic with the conflict recently reaching a critical inflection point.
The new eight-member body finally groups leading figures from the various military forces on the ground under one umbrella.
this is the most serious attempt in years to resolve the internal and external sources of division that have crippled the government’s policies and performance.
With Saudi and UAE guidance, the council faces two scenarios: one in which an agreement can be made with the Houthis to extend the truce and use it as a basis for a political settlement; and a second in which the truce collapses – or simply lapses – and the military option must be taken up again. It is no secret that Saudi Arabia, with strong US encouragement, is keen to move on from the war, as was reflected in Hadi’s declaration citing the aim of a permanent cease-fire and negotiations for peace. The Houthis dragged their feet on talks for over a year as they tried to seize complete control of Marib governorate and its energy resources. The hope is that the temporary truce indicates all parties, including the Houthis, now realize a military solution cannot be found.
Herein lies the second importance of the council – making clear to the Houthis that the government is in a position militarily to resist any attempts to change the status quo in Marib or elsewhere. Unfortunately, there are already signs of Houthi backsliding, and the government must be ready for all possibilities.
In the short term, Al-Alimi’s main challenge will be to maintain the unity and effectiveness of the council. Crucially, he has no military power of his own behind him while leading a council of military chiefs. This can be a benefit if he manages the Saudi and UAE relationship well, builds inclusive alliances and acts collegially. He needs to show results – bringing order to the economic and security spheres in territory under government control and showing the people that the government knows how to govern again. The council also needs to demonstrate that it has the capacity to both negotiate and, if necessary, to fight.
Risks Abound for the New Presidential Council
Maysaa Shuja al-Deen
This newly-formed council attempts to avoid the mistakes of previous councils by defining its mandates. While it represents a variety of political parties and views, it is too early to say how it will balance the powers and mandates assigned to its members. A legal committee has been appointed to draft rules that will regulate its work.
The choice of Rashad al-Alimi to head the council is an interesting one. He has been among the Saudis’ most trusted men in Yemen since the early 2000s, when he was in charge of security cooperation between the two countries. At the same time, Al-Alimi is an experienced politician, intelligent, has a strong presence and tends to compromise. These traits should help him manage the difficulties of his position in a council that represents ideologically conflicting parties.
It is also notable that this council was formed and announced outside of Yemen, and maintaining a balance between Saudi and UAE loyalists appeared to be the primary standard in choosing members.
A Fragile Window for Peace Opens
Abdulghani al-Iryani
Two major obstacles to peace were finally removed when Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi fired his vice-president, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, and then irrevocably transferred his own power to a Presidential Command Council (PCC). The Council meets the minimum requirements to move forward toward peace negotiations. The main parties and armed groups on the government side are represented in the PCC. More importantly, the main demographic blocs are also represented, indicating that the pro-government camp and their international backers have finally acknowledged that the Yemen war has mutated into a conflict of identities.
Much has been done for the cause of peace in this transfer of power, and much is still ahead if it is to bring peace to Yemen. First and foremost is the devil of working out the details of bylaws of the operation of the extra-constitutional collective leadership. With this reform, pro-government factions can close ranks and be in a position to enter into serious negotiations with the Houthi movement
It is important for the PCC to realize that its main task is to create the conditions for a competent cabinet to carry out its constitutional duties.
The fear, fueled by the bombastic response of the Houthis to Hadi’s transfer of power, is that the Houthi authorities will allow their militant faction to renew its offensive on Marib city. In reality, the Houthis have never been as vulnerable as they are now.
https://sanaacenter.org/publications/analysis/17378
cp1a Am wichtigsten: Präsidialrat löst Präsident Hadi ab / Most important: Presidential council replaces President Hadi
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Explained: Contours of Yemen’s first ceasefire in over 6 years
[Roundup]
What is the new truce deal?
Why has the Yemen President stepped down?
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/yemen-truce-ceasefire-explained-7860914/
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Head of #Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council delivered his first speech, focusing on: Ending the war and achieving peace, Seeking peace but also defending the nation, Restoring state institutions, A state of law and order
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1512537508407558148
Chairman of PLC Rashad Al-Alimi: I extend my thanks and appreciation to the former President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi for taking this brave decision and confidence he gave to the Council.
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1512529245339332612
Comment: The next thing to watch is whether the presidential council members will come back and actually live (with their families) and carry their responsibilities inside #Yemen or will this be another remote "governance" arrangement!
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1512438202333810696
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Head of Yemen's new Presidential Council vows to end war and achieve peace
“This council is a council of peace not war, but it is also a council of defence, power and unity whose mission is to protect the sovereignty of the nation and citizens,” Gen Al Alimi said in a speech.
Gen Al Alimi, a former adviser to Mr Hadi, also vowed to give priority to national interests and to work hard to address all political, economic, social and security challenges.
He thanked the Saudi-led coalition for its “unlimited support” for the Yemeni government and those at all political, economic and humanitarian levels for their efforts to achieve comprehensive peace in the country.
and also https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2022/4/8/head-of-new-yemeni-council-promises-end-to-war
http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/20220409/062a401777594f0c824cba49ea629ec2/c.html
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“Former president Abdu Rabbuh Mansur Hadi,” said Rashad Al-Alimi , chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) in his speech, dashing out any confusions that some have around the position of Hadi after he delegated powers to the new council.
Hadi epoch is gone, another era starts, full of hope, expectations but uncertainty, doubtfulness and fears at the same time.
https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1512510410917916686
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The final statement of the Yemeni consultations in Riyadh read by Prime Minister @DrMaeenSaeed acknowledged the failure of the military option and called for peace talks with the #Houthis and include “the cause of the southern people” in the final political settlement.
https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1512082836823547913
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Jemen-Konflikt: Vizepräsident muss Amt niederlegen, präsidialer Führungsrat wird eingesetzt
Der jemenitische Präsident Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi hat den Vizepräsidenten Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar von seinem Amt entbunden und einen präsidialen Führungsrat eingesetzt. Dies teilte der jemenitische Informationsminister am frühen Donnerstag (7. 4.) in einer Live-Übertragung mit. Das neue Gremium werde sowohl die Aufgaben des Präsidenten als auch die seines Stellvertreters übernehmen, so der Minister weiter. Der neue Rat werde politische, militärische und sicherheitspolitische Aufgaben für die jemenitische Regierung während einer so genannten «Übergangszeit» übernehmen. In der Erklärung Hadis heisst es ausserdem, der Schritt stehe im Einklang mit einer Initiative zur Machtübergabe aus dem Jahr 2011, die der aus sechs Mitgliedern bestehende Golf-Kooperationsrat (GCC) im Zuge der Proteste gegen die Regierung und der politischen Umwälzungen im Land entwickelt hatte. Der Führungsrat, der sich aus einem Vorsitzenden und sieben Stellvertretern zusammensetzt, wird von Rashad Al-Alimi geleitet, einem Sicherheitsbeamten, der unter dem früheren Präsidenten Ali Abdullah Saleh Innenminister war. Alimi, der als Berater von Hadi tätig war, wird von Saudiarabien unterstützt. Er hat auch enge Beziehungen zu der grössten politischen Gruppierung, der islamistischen Islah-Partei.
https://www.nzz.ch/international/jemen-die-hintergruende-des-buergerkriegs-ld.1556197
Film: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qHYp4GASGes = https://www.handelsblatt.com/video/politik/mittlerer-osten-praesidialer-fuehrungsrat-uebernimmt-regierungsgeschaefte-im-jemen/28236518.html
und
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Jemen: Präsident Hadi überträgt Macht an neuen Präsidialrat
Der neue Rat solle das Land übergangsweise führen und mit den Huthi-Rebellen auch über eine «endgültige und umfassende» Lösung des jahrelangen Bürgerkriegs verhandeln. Hadis volle Befugnisse würden «unwiderruflich» an den Rat übertragen.
Der sogenannte «präsidiale Führungsrat» solle das Land politisch, militärisch und mit Blick auf Sicherheitsfragen für eine «Übergangszeit» leiten, heißt es im Dekret. Geführt werden soll der achtköpfige Rat vom früheren Innenminister Raschad al-Alimi. Das Mandat des Rats soll auslaufen, wenn «vollständiger Frieden» im Land wiederhergestellt ist.
https://www.zeit.de/news/2022-04/07/jemen-praesident-hadi-uebertraegt-macht-an-neuen-praesidialrat und ähnlich https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/jemen-abed-rabbo-mansur-hadi-gibt-macht-an-neuen-praesidialrat-ab-a-5151fa68-12e4-4140-bc16-7fcc4db622ad
und
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Jemens Präsident Hadi überträgt seine Befugnisse an neuen Präsidialrat
Hadis volle Befugnisse würden "unwiderruflich" an den Rat übertragen, heißt es.
Damit komme er einer Initiative des aus sechs Mitgliedern bestehenden Golf-Kooperationsrates aus dem Jahr 2011 nach, erklärte Hadi. Zuvor enthob er seinen Stellvertreter Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar seines Amtes. Zu den Aufgaben des Rats gehörten auch Militärangelegenheiten sowie Sicherheitsfragen, hieß es in der Erklärung von Hadi.
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/jemen-huthi-hadi-1.5562321 = https://www.t-online.de/nachrichten/ausland/internationale-politik/id_91974044/jemen-praesident-hadi-gibt-macht-an-praesidialrat-ab-friedensloesung-.html
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Machtübergabe an Präsidialrat
In einer Fernsehansprache am frühen Morgen übertrug Jemens Präsident Abdrabbo Mansour Hadi seine komplette Macht an einen neuen präsidialen Führungsrat - und trat zurück.
"Mit dem Ziel, die Sicherheit unseres Volkes zu schützen, für die Stabilität unserer Nation zu sorgen und um anhaltenden Frieden zu garantieren, erkläre ich hiermit die Gründung eines Präsidentialrates, der in der Übergangsphase alle Aufgaben übernimmt. Ich übergebe meine Macht vollständig in die Hände des neues Rates."
Auch Vizepräsident Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar wurde per Dekret abgesetzt. Der neue präsidiale Führungsrat soll das Land politisch und militärisch leiten. Er hat acht Mitglieder und wird vom früheren Innenminister Raschad al-Alimi geleitet. Beobachter knüpfen an den Machtwechsel die vorsichtige Hoffnung, dass es im Jemen zu einem dauerhaften Waffenstillstand kommen könnte.
Saudi-Arabien kündigte an, die jemenitische Wirtschaft mit drei Milliarden US-Dollar zu unterstützen. Der saudische Kronprinz Mohammed bin Salman traf sich bereits mit den Mitgliedern des neuen Präsidialrates und betonte, nun könne im Jemen ein neues Kapitel beginnen.
Ob der neue präsidiale Führungsrat und Präsident Hadis Rückzug zu einem dauerhaften Frieden in Jemen beitragen kann, ist noch unklar.
https://www.tagesschau.de/ausland/asien/jemen-hadi-105.html
und auch https://www.dw.com/de/machtwechsel-im-jemen/a-61388226
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Jemens Staatschef übergibt Macht an "Präsidialrat"
Die sechs Länder des Golf-Kooperationsrates begrüßten in einer gemeinsamen Erklärung die Ankündigung Hadis. Der Jemen-Analyst der International Crisis Group, Peter Salisbury, erklärte auf Twitter, es handle sich um die "folgenreichste Veränderung in der inneren Struktur des Anti-Huthi-Blocks seit Beginn des Krieges".
Innerhalb der Koalition, die im Jemen gegen die Huthi-Rebellen kämpft, hatte es immer wieder Streit gegeben. Nun gibt es die Hoffnung, dass diese Seite des Konflikts bei künftigen Verhandlungen mit den Huthis geeinter auftreten könnte.
https://www.n-tv.de/politik/Jemens-Staatschef-uebergibt-Macht-an-Praesidialrat-article23253518.html
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Jemens Präsident Hadi räumt das Feld
Die zu Ramadan-Beginn verkündete Waffenruhe im Jemen wurde auf zwei Monate, also über den Fastenmonat hinausgehend, angelegt: ein Indiz für den Start eines neuen diplomatischen Versuchs, den jahrelangen Krieg im ärmsten Land der arabischen Welt zu beenden. Am Donnerstag übergab in Saudi-Arabien der Präsident der international anerkannten jemenitischen Regierung, Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi, seine Macht an einen Präsidentschaftsrat. Damit ist eine der Hürden für Verhandlungen mit den Huthi-Rebellen beseitigt, die seit 2014 die Hauptstadt Sanaa kontrollieren.
Das neue achtköpfige Gremium soll, so Hadi, eine Übergangsphase einleiten. Der Chef des Präsidentschaftsrats ist ein Militär, Rashad al-Alimi, der unter dem 2012 abgetretenen Langzeitherrscher Ali Abdullah Saleh Vizeminister für Sicherheit war. Die Zusammensetzung des Rats verkörpert einen Kompromiss zwischen Saudi-Arabien und den Vereinigten Arabischen Emiraten: Die VAE sind zwar der wichtigste Partner der saudisch-geführten militärischen Koalition im Jemen, aber Riads und Abu Dhabis Ansichten zur politischen Zukunft differierten in wichtigen Punkten.
Der neue Präsidentschaftsrat vereint diese disparaten Kräfte und stärkt damit eine inklusive Position vis-à-vis den Huthis. Die Islah und die frühere Regimepartei GPC (Allgemeiner Volkskongress) sind vertreten, aber auch der Südliche Übergangsrat (STC) mit seinem Chef Aidarous Al-Zubaidi. Dass Hadi ihn 2017 als Gouverneur von Aden feuerte, hatte zu Kämpfen zwischen südlichen Sezessionisten und Hadi-Kräften geführt: und das alles innerhalb des Kriegs mit den Huthis.
Der Rückzug des 76-jährigen Hadi, der auch gesundheitlich angeschlagen ist, war überfällig. Er galt als völlig von Saudi-Arabien abhängig und gesteuert – von Gudrun Harrer
https://www.derstandard.at/story/2000134767977/jemens-praesident-hadi-raeumt-das-feld?ref=rss
und auch https://www.spiegel.de/ausland/ein-neubeginn-fuer-jemens-regierung-friedensgespraeche-mit-den-huthi-a-8ba8144b-cb81-466f-afa1-d0a40bdf81f5#ref=rss [nur im Abo], als Audio: https://m.srf.ch/audio/rendez-vous/machtuebergabe-in-jemen-schritt-richtung-frieden?partId=12173337
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Jemens Präsident Hadi tritt zurück
Er galt als ein wesentliches Hindernis für den Frieden im Jemen. Jetzt macht Abd Rabbo Mansur Hadi den Weg frei für eine „Übergangsperiode“. Doch wo die hinführen soll, ist ungewiss.
Aus Saudi-Arabien kam prompt die Zusage, die neue Führung mit einer großzügigen Finanzspritze zu fördern. Das Königreich will laut Angaben der Staatspresse eine Milliarde Dollar an die Zentralbank überweisen und eine weitere Milliarde für Erdölprodukte und Entwicklung bereitstellen. Auch die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate wollen demnach eine Milliarde in die klammen Kassen der um jeden Dollar ringenden Zentralbank schießen. Der Rücktritt des jemenitischen Präsidenten folgt auf längliche Verhandlungen, zu denen der Golfkooperationsrat GCC in die saudische Hauptstadt Riad eingeladen hatte.
Die Personalie Hadi war ein steter Zankapfel in der saudisch geführten Koalition, die seit März 2015 im Jemen die Huthi-Rebellen bekämpft. Die Emirate waren des als hochkorrupt verhassten Präsidenten schon lange überdrüssig, von der Bevölkerung ganz zu schweigen. Inzwischen scheint auch dem saudischen Kronprinzen Muhammad Bin Salman der - eigentlich kurze – Geduldsfaden endgültig gerissen zu sein. Die Führung in Riad sucht nach einem Ausweg aus ihrem erfolglosen Jemen-Engagement.
Hadis Nutzen, hieß es, sei nicht viel mehr als der eines „Feigenblatt der Legitimität“.
An einer Neuordnung des Anti-Huthi-Lagers wird schon länger im Hintergrund gearbeitet. Militärische Erfolge der von Iran unterstützten Rebellen hatten offenbar ein Umdenken eingeläutet.
Jetzt ist STC-Präsident Aidarous al-Zubaidi, ein Mann des Militärs [nein! Er ist der Vorsitzende des separatistischen STC], Mitglied des neuen Präsidialrates. Zu dem zählt unter anderem auch der Gouverneur von Marib, Sultan al-Arada, ein Pragmatiker mit starkem islamistischem Einschlag, unter dessen Führung Marib einen bemerkenswerten Aufschwung erlebt hat. Außerdem ist Tariq Salih in dem Gremium vertreten, der Neffe des einstigen Präsidenten. Jener hatte sich zwischenzeitig mit den Huthi verbündet, wurde aber 2017 von ihnen ermordet.
Rashad al-Alimi, der Chef des neuen Führungsgremiums, war eine feste Größe in der jemenitischen Führung und bekleidete verschiedene wichtige Posten – unter anderem war er Innenminister, Minister für lokale Verwaltung, stellvertretender Premierminister und Leiter des Obersten Sicherheitsausschusses. Er hat laut Angaben von Beobachtern enge und lange Beziehungen zu Saudi-Arabien.
Die Zusammensetzung des Rates lässt schon erahnen, dass neue Konflikte ins Haus stehen. Denn zwischen einigen der Akteure, die jetzt dort versammelt sind, herrscht erbitterte Feindschaft – von Christoph Ehrhardt
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Begrüßenswerter Rückzieher
Ganz freiwillig wird Hadi seine Macht wohl kaum aufgegeben haben; wahrscheinlich hat Hadis Schutzmacht Saudi-Arabien hinter den Kulissen Druck ausgeübt auf ihren Schützling, denn das saudische Königshaus setzt jetzt offensichtlich auf eine Verhandlungslösung im Jemenkrieg.
Hadis Rückzieher erfolgte am letzten Tag der sogenannten Friedensgespräche in der saudischen Hauptstadt Riad; an den von Saudi-Arabien inszenierten Gesprächen wollten die Huthis jedoch nicht teilnehmen - verständlicherweise, ist Saudi-Arabien doch kein neutraler Verhandlungsort, sondern eine der Kriegsparteien. An einer Verhandlungslösung führt jedoch kein Weg vorbei, und daran sollten alle in den Krieg involvierten Akteure teilnehmen, auch der Iran, der die Huthi-Rebellen unterstützt. Und das geht nur auf neutralem Boden.
https://www.nd-aktuell.de/artikel/1162855.jemen-krieg-begruessenswerter-rueckzieher.html
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Leise Hoffnung, mal wieder
Erst der Waffenstillstand, dann die Machtübergabe des Staatsoberhauptes Hadi an einen Präsidialrat: In den Jemenkrieg kommt etwas Bewegung. Wird es dem neuen Gremium gelingen, das Land in einen dauerhaften Frieden zu führen? [nur im Abo]
https://www.sueddeutsche.de/politik/jemen-krieg-waffenruhe-praesidalrat-1.5563713?reduced=true
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Ansarullah: Rücktritt des ehemaligen jemenitischen Präsidenten beendet UN-Unterstützung für Aggressoren
Als der im Exil lebende frühere Präsident des Jemen offiziell seinen Rücktritt ankündigte, sagte die jemenitische Widerstandsbewegung Ansarullah, dass dieser Schritt die Vereinten Nationen ihrer Entschuldigung beraubt hat, die Angreifer in dem siebenjährigen Krieg unter Führung der Saudis weiter zu unterstützen.
Die Scheinregierung von Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi ist zu Ende, erklärte Ansarullah-Sprecher Mohammed Abdul-Salam am Donnerstagabend über seinen Twitter-Account.
„Diese Entwicklung hat Vorwürfe der Länder widerlegt, die den Jemen unter dem Vorwand angegriffen haben, Putschisten gegen ihn zu konfrontieren“, sagte Abdul-Salam.
Er fügte hinzu: „Die internationale Gemeinschaft und die UN haben keine Entschuldigung mehr, den Begriff ‚international anerkannte jemenitische Regierung‘ weiter zu verwenden, um die jemenitische Nation zu massakrieren und eine strenge Blockade des arabischen Landes durchzusetzen.“
Abdul-Salam kritisierte auch die von Saudi-Arabien veranstalteten Gespräche über den Jemen-Konflikt und sagte, die Zukunft des arabischen Landes werde nur vom jemenitischen Volk bestimmt.
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Yemen president sacks deputy, hands over presidential powers to council
Yemen's president said on Thursday he has dismissed Vice President Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and delegated his own powers to a presidential council that will carry out leadership duties.
The new body will assume the duties of both the president and his deputy, said a statement from President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
The new council will carry out political, military and security duties for the Yemeni government during what it refers to as a "transitional period".
Hadi's statement said the move was taken in line with a 2011 power transfer initiative devised by the six-member Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) in the wake of the anti-government protests and political crisis.
"With this declaration a Presidential Leadership Council shall be established to complete the implementation of the tasks of the transitional period. I irreversibly delegate to the Presidential Leadership Council my full powers in accordance with the constitution and the Gulf Initiative and its executive mechanism," Hadi later said on Yemeni state TV, seated in front of two Yemeni flags.
Dismissed Vice-President al-Ahmar is a politically powerful army general.
The leadership council, made up of a chair and seven deputy chairmen, will be led by Rashad Al-Alimi, a security official who was interior minister during the former presidency of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Alimi, who had been an advisor to Hadi, has the support of Saudi Arabia. He also has a close relationship with the major political grouping, the Islamist Islah party.
Deputy chairs include the leader of southern separatist group, the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarous al-Zubaidi.
https://apnews.com/article/houthis-yemen-middle-east-saudi-arabia-united-arab-emirates-272f0f343116c4a9f0224af96f2169e7 , quoting: Peter Salisbury, Yemen expert at the International Crisis Group, described the power transfer as “A Big Deal” and the “most consequential shift in the inner workings of the anti-Houthi bloc since war began.”
Film by Aljazeera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SrXMxd3XVLw
Photos: Members of the presidential leadership council to which Hadi irreversibly delegated his own full powers.
https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1512081625877647367 = https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1511899897137618947
Film: Hadi speech
https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1511896068061028354
Film: His Excellency President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi met today with the President of the Presidential Council and a number of his deputies His Excellency confirmed that the leadership of the Presidential Council has been given full powers to complete the implementation of the tasks of the transitional period
https://twitter.com/yemen1tv/status/1511920915021508615
and
(** A P)
The presidential declaration on the transfer of power and the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council was issued today.
The text:
Based on the powers granted to us by the Constitution of the Republic of Yemen in embodying the will of the people, respecting the constitution and the law, protecting national unity, the principles and objectives of the Yemeni revolution, committing to the peaceful transfer of power and supervising the sovereign tasks related to the defense of the Republic and those related to the state's foreign policy.
And based on the Gulf initiative and its implementation mechanism.
And in accordance with Article 9 of the executive mechanism of the Gulf initiative, which stipulates the need to take all necessary legislation to implement the guarantees contained in the Gulf initiative, the most important of which is meeting the aspirations of our people for change and reform, and removing the elements of political and security tension.
In my capacity as the President of the Republic of Yemen, and with a desire to involve effective leaders in managing the state in this transitional phase, and affirming our commitment to Yemen’s unity, sovereignty, independence, territorial integrity and territorial integrity, and sensing historical, national and humanitarian responsibility in the current circumstances that the country is going through in all its lands, and facing humanitarian and political crises that resulted from the wars between our people, and in order to overcome the difficulties and obstacles that were placed in front of our people’s realization of their aspirations to build a new Yemen, and to achieve the requirements of our people in preserving the social fabric and stopping the bloodshed, healing the wounds, and embodying the goals of the glorious September and October revolutions, and to preserve the unity of our people in a state A civil society that achieves broad partnership and equitable distribution of wealth, protects everyone, and achieves the essence of the outcomes of the comprehensive national dialogue, and in order to preserve the bonds of brotherhood among all our people, and based on the principles that our people believe in and the need to achieve their aspirations inA comprehensive and lasting peace, in order to preserve the security of all citizens, the stability of the security of the homeland and the integrity of its territories, and to complete the tasks of the transitional phase and implement the consensus of our honorable people.
We issued the declaration of the transfer of power as follows:
Article 1: The Presidential Leadership Council.
(B): The Presidential Leadership Council, in addition to its above-mentioned powers, has all the powers of the Vice President.
1) To administer the country politically, militarily, and security forces throughout the transitional period.
(F): The Presidential Leadership Council has the following competencies:
2) Adopting a balanced foreign policy that achieves the supreme national interests of the state and builds it on the basis of independence and common interests in a manner that preserves the sovereignty, security and borders of the state.
3) Facilitating the government's exercise of its responsibilities with its full powers throughout the transitional period.
4) Adopting the necessary policies to enhance security and combat terrorism throughout the Republic of Yemen.
(…)
and
(A P)
Chair of #Yemen's Presidential Council Maj. Gen. Rashad al-Alimi (PHD), #GPC member from Ta'izz Graduated from #Kuwait's Police Academy - 1975 Masters and PhD in Social Science from Egypt - 1988 Taiz Chief of Police - 1996 Minister of Interior - 2001 Deputy Prime Minister – 2006
https://twitter.com/BashaReport/status/1511904531663179781
Important clarification: Sultan Aradah is not Islah. He is a member of GPC permanent committee & was GPC MP until 2003. He worked with Islah since he was appointed as governor bcz Islah controlled the government & that is why many mistakingly perceive him as Islah
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1512018132763824131
Comment: Now , all parties are represented in the decision-making core and have no longer an excuse not to cooperate and work for the better of the people. The #GCC states should now extend a reasonable economic support to address challenges.
https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1511903577836601346
Comment: This is potentially a big deal. Hadi was one of the biggest obstacles to any kind of serious progress towards peace in Yemen. He was weak, corrupt and unable to build a strong coalition to seriously confront the Houthis. Devil will be in the details, but this is a positive step.
Now, many, many obstacles remain, to be clear. But IF there is to be serious progress eventually, sidelining Hadi one way or another was always going to be a necessary (but far from sufficient) step.
https://twitter.com/thomasjuneau/status/1511886776687894529
Comment: Significant development in #Yemen Conflict. The question is where will the new presidential council reside? Hope this will result in practical steps to unify the anti Houthi camp which is necessary to bring Yemen's war to an an end!
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1511887366037950465
but the matter hardly met full consent:
(A P)
Disagreement at Riyadh consolations over the change of the Vice President Ali Muhssein. Islah party refuses the idea at all, cussing the end of the meeting today without any agreement on this or other proposals to have 2 deputies or a single consensus candidate, sources said.
https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1511790410204598292
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Who are the 8 members of Yemen's new Presidential Council?
The announcement by Mr Hadi said Gen Rashad Al Alimi would head the presidential council. Gen Al Alimi has been up and down the ranks of Yemen’s government since the 1990s, serving as Yemen's former interior minister and deputy prime minister for security and defence.
He was born in Taez, in 1954 and received his first years of education by his father, a judge. Since then, he was educated in Sanaa, Kuwait and Egypt before returning to Yemen where he enrolled into the police academy of Sanaa.
In 2001, Gen Al Alimi became Minister of Interior and went on to become a member of the dominant General People's Congress in 2013 before taking on the role of presidential advisor to Mr Hadi a year later.
Other members of the council include Sultan Al Aradah, who has been governor of Marib since 2012.
He comes from one of the governorate's main tribes — and has been considered an effective leader in resolving tribal disputes. Born in 1958, Mr Al Aradah has been involved in politics since the late 70s, local media has reported.
He is also known for his strong anti-Houthi sentiments and has positive relations with Yemen's neighbouring countries and members of the Saudi-led coalition. He also became a member of the General People's Congress in 1982 and a member of parliament later on.
More is known about Brig Aidrous Al Zubaidi than some of Presidential Council's other members owing to his prominence on the battlefield.
Born in 1967 in Dale' province, Brig Al Zubaidi graduated from Aden's aviation academy and went on to join the air force.
When former president Ali Abdullah Saleh announced a battle into the country's south, Brig Al Zubaidi fought in the civil war which ended with Saleh's forces entering Aden.
Upon his defeat, Brig Al Zubaidi was self-exiled to Djibouti and returned to the country two years after the 1994 war ended.
Since then he has been fighting for the independence of Yemen's south and leads the Southern Transitional Council, which was formed in 2017. He served as governor of Aden from 2015 to 2017 by presidential appointment and dismissal.
Ali Abdullah Saleh's nephew, Maj Gen Tariq Saleh, is also a member on the Presidential Council. He formed a non-state armed group called the National Resistance Forces, also known as the Guards of the Republic, in 2017. A military man, Maj Gen Saleh's involvement in battle included engagements in Hodeidah and Taez.
Another military figure is commander of the Giants Brigades, Abdurahman Al Muharrami Abu Zaraa who helped liberate hundreds of kilometres of Yemen's south from Houthi control. The Giants Brigades are a part of the wider National Resistance Forces, led by Maj Gen Saleh and have worked closely with the UAE's armed forces in the past.
The brigades were created in 2015, and are made up of more than 15,000 men including members of the former army of Yemen.
Abdullah Al Alimi Bawazeer is a government official and head of president Hadi's office.
Othman Mujali is another Yemeni politician and parliamentarian. Born in 1970, Mr Mujali is also a member of the General People's Congress. His biggest role in government was minister of state for parliamentary affairs and the Shura Council. He holds a bachelor's degree in Sharia.
Gen Faraj Salmain Al Bahsani is a military commander and has been the governor of Hadramawt province since 2017.
and very similar https://www.yenisafak.com/en/world/who-are-eight-members-of-yemens-new-presidential-council-3593371
Remark: For those who do not know Abu Zaraa al-Muharrami, who was appointed by Saudi Arabia as a member of the Presidential Council, is one of the leaders of al-Qaeda in Yemen.
https://twitter.com/Hbwd_Zabanwt/status/1512159341490675716
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Yemen's Hadi steps down after 10 years as 'temporary' president
In Wednesday's announcement relinquishing his presidency Hadi also delivered the welcome news that his vice-president, Brigadier General Ali Muhsin al-Ahmar, had been dismissed. Ali Muhsin is a kinsman of the late President Saleh and, under Saleh's rule, became a much-feared figure. In a diplomatic cable in 2005, US ambassador Krajeski described him as "Saleh's iron fist".
Krajeski added that Ali Muhsin had been "a major beneficiary of diesel smuggling in recent years" and appeared to have "amassed a fortune in the smuggling of arms, food staples, and consumer products". The memo also described him as "a close associate" of Faris Manna, Yemen's most notorious arms dealer. On the religious front, Ali Muhsin had long-standing Salafi/Wahhabi connections which, according to Krajeski, included "questionable dealings with terrorists and extremists".
With Hadi and his deputy apparently shunted to the sidelines, the plan now is for a presidential council to take over. This power-sharing device has often been used in the past when Yemen faced political problems – with mixed results.
A 'Frankenstein' council
Although the latest presidential council only represents anti-Houthi elements, in theory it creates an opportunity for them to put their house in order and might conceivably prepare the way to a political settlement for the whole country. But Yemen expert Gregory Johnsen, is far from optimistic.
"Presidential councils are unwieldy creations at best, and this one is likely more of a Frankenstein than most," he wrote in a series of posts on Twitter. "Quite clearly this is an attempt, perhaps a last ditch effort, to reconstitute something resembling unity within the anti-Houthi alliance. The problem is that it is unclear how these various individuals, many of whom have diametrically opposing views, can work together."
The reasons for Johnsen's scepticism become more apparent from his tweets detailing the composition of the eight-member council (which, as might be expected, is entirely male). The head of the council is Rashad al-Alimi from Ta'izz, a former interior minister under the late President Saleh. Other members are:
- Sultan al-Iradah, the governor of Marib, a tribesman and member of Islah (the Yemeni equivalent of the Muslim Brotherhood), whose brother, Khaled, has been sanctioned by the US for alleged ties to al-Qaeda.
- Abdullah al-Alimi, another member of Islah, who was the director of Hadi's office.
- Aydarus al-Zubaydi, head of the Southern Transitional Council which advocates for an independent southern state. (Johnsen comments: "Zubaydi and the STC have longstanding issues with Islah and have clashed with military units affiliated with Islah multiple times. Plus, and very importantly, Zubaydi's foreign backer, the UAE, also has issues with Islah.")
- Tariq Saleh, nephew of the late President Saleh. He was allied with the Houthis until they killed his uncle in December 2017. (Johnsen describes him as "incredibly unpopular" now that he is in the south, and "looking to find a way to claw back some territory in the north".)
- Faraj al-Bahsani, the governor of Hadramawt, is also on the council. Like Saleh and Zubaydi, he too is backed by the UAE.
- Abd al-Rahman Abu Zara'a is another UAE-affiliated figure and commander of the Amaliqa ("Giants") Brigade which was instrumental in pushing the Houthis out of Shabwa earlier this year.
- The eighth member hails from Sa'ada – Houthi-controlled territory in the far north, though Johnsen doesn't name him. Another Twitter user identifies him as Othman Mujali, a sheikh who supported President Saleh and has links to Saudi Arabia.
The chances of these eight working cohesively together look remote to non-existent. Johnsen comments: "In theory, I can see how this is supposed to work: bring all the various military units under one giant umbrella to take on the Houthis. But in practice I don't think these actors will be able to set aside their many, many differences to unite against a common foe."
https://www.al-bab.com/blog/2022/04/yemens-hadi-steps-down-after-10-years-temporary-president = https://www.juancole.com/2022/04/resignation-absentee-president.html
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Old Wine in New Skins: The Yemen Presidential Council
Yemen’s new presidential council was made in Saudi Arabia and backed by the UAE, which means it may struggle to find legitimacy on the ground.
Although it is unclear whether Hadi actually had the constitutional authority to transfer the presidency – Yemen’s Constitution calls for the president to be “elected” – few in the international community are likely to mourn his departure.
Over the past seven years, Hadi has widely been seen as both an ineffective executive and a barrier to peace. He sabotaged peace talks in Kuwait in 2016 before they could even start by naming Ali Mohsen his vice president. Ali Mohsen, who was unpopular in the West due to his ties to jihadis and a nonstarter with the Houthis for his conduct against the group during the Saada wars from 2004-10, was a hedge against Hadi being removed from power. Also in 2016, Hadi split Yemen’s central bank, cutting off the Houthi-controlled branch in Sanaa and establishing a new one in Aden. The move effectively divided Yemen’s economy in two and is one reason that the Yemeni rial trades at widely disparate rates in Sanaa and Aden.
Why exactly Hadi chose this moment to step down and transfer power is unclear, although it likely involved significant Saudi pressure and incentives.
The question now is: How effective can the new presidential council be?
This latest attempt is clearly an effort to reconstitute something resembling unity within the anti-Houthi alliance, which has collapsed into infighting in recent years. The problem is that it is unclear if these various individuals, many of whom have diametrically opposing views, can work together.
The head of the council is Rashad al-Alimi, a former interior minister under Saleh who maintains close relations with Saudi Arabia. The other seven members are a mishmash of competing power centers within the anti-Houthi coalition. For example, Aidarous al-Zubaidi, the president of the Southern Transitional Council, which advocates for an independent Southern state, is a member of the council, as is Abdullah al-Alimi (no relation to Rashad al-Alimi), the director of Hadi’s presidential office and a member of the Islamist Islah Party. Islah and the STC have clashed numerous times in recent years. Making things even more complicated, the United Arab Emirates, which backs Zubaidi’s STC, views Islah as a terrorist group due to its ties with the Muslim Brotherhood.
The UAE backs three other individuals on the council, although none of them exactly see eye-to-eye on Yemen’s future. First is Tariq Saleh, the nephew of the former president. Tariq was once aligned with the Houthis but is now fighting against them. The problem for Saleh is that he is a Northerner, who is now based in the South, where he is deeply unpopular for actions that he and his uncle took over the past two decades. Second is Faraj al-Bahsani, the governor of Hadramout and head of the Hadrami Elite Forces. Bahsani has distanced himself from the STC over the past two years, as the group has stoked popular protests in Hadramout over collapsing infrastructure, rolling blackouts, and a collapsing currency. Third is Abd al-Rahman Abu Zaraa, a commander in the Giants Brigades, who was instrumental in pushing the Houthis out of Shabwa earlier this year.
The other two members of the council are: Sultan al-Arada, the governor of Marib and a tribal figure who has worked closely with Islah in recent years, and Othman Mujali, a tribal sheikh from Saada who is close to Saudi Arabia and was likely included on the council to balance out the geographical representation.
In theory, the council is supposed to bring all the various military units and armed groups under one giant umbrella to either negotiate with the Houthis or, if that fails, present a unified military front. In practice, however, it is unlikely that these actors, some of whom have been fighting one another, will be able to set aside their different visions for Yemen’s future and unite against a common foe. How far, for instance, will military units affiliated with the STC push into the North to combat the Houthis, when the group has previously said it is only interested in an independent Southern state?
Many of these actors view the conflict in Yemen as a zero-sum game, in which their loss is someone else’s gain. Overcoming this challenge to cooperate will be incredibly difficult, as in recent years Yemen’s economic pie has shrunk while the number of armed groups has increased.
The fact that it required eight different individuals, representing eight different groups, to form a presidential council is a sign of just how deeply divided the anti-Houthi coalition is at the moment. Even with eight representatives on the council, there were still a number of groups that were left out in the cold, including all Southern groups outside of the STC. This council was made in Saudi Arabia and backed by the UAE, which means it may struggle to find legitimacy on the ground. Many Yemenis will welcome Hadi’s departure even as they worry about what is to come – by Gregory D. Johnsen
https://agsiw.org/old-wine-in-new-skins-the-yemen-presidential-council/
and also thread by Johnsen: https://twitter.com/gregorydjohnsen/status/1511911306558787585
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What the leadership shake-up in Yemen means for the ongoing war
With a War Powers Resolution looming in Congress to end the US role, the Saudi-led coalition may be seeing the writing on the wall.
Yemen’s President-in-exile Abd Rabo Mansur Hadi announced on Thursday that he has transferred his authority to an eight member group called the Presidential Leadership Council. The move represents one of the most significant political developments in Yemen’s civil war in years.
Hadi’s announcement reflects the outcome of talks convened by the Saudis in Riyadh between various anti-Houthi militias, political leaders, and parties in Yemen. The Houthis had been invited to the talks, but declined to attend on the basis of Saudi Arabia’s role as a belligerent in Yemen’s civil war. With the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council — effectively an anti-Houthi coalition — it becomes clear why the Saudis preferred the Houthis not attend.
The formation of the Council reflects Saudi and possibly American frustration with President Hadi, whose lack of popularity, corruption, and determination to hang on to power had stymied efforts to establish a new political framework for Yemen. By insisting on maintaining power, Hadi had effectively empowered the Houthi rebels and others who opposed his rule. By stepping aside, Hadi has enabled a breakthrough that could lead to progress in resolving Yemen’s intractable conflict.
Why now, after years of intransigence? The timing likely partly reflects recent announcements from Congress that members would reintroduce a War Powers Resolution ending U.S. support for Saudi-led military actions in Yemen. Rather than face the humiliating prospect of losing their ability to operate their own air force without the assistance of U.S. military contractors, the Saudis prefer to pressure their proxies in Yemen to move towards resolving the conflict.
However, both the recent Ramadan ceasefire agreement and the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council may give the false impression that Yemen’s civil war is nearing resolution. Instead, these recent developments could incentivize an escalation in violence from both the anti-Houthi coalition and the Houthis themselves.
The Presidential Leadership Council includes all the major parties opposed to the Houthi rebels. Some are backed by the UAE
However, the inclusion of members of Yemen’s main Islamist party, Islah, which the UAE views with suspicion, demonstrates that the UAE did not monopolize the make-up of the Council. One Islah member is the governor of Marib, the oil-rich province the Houthis have tried to take for years; another was a close ally of President Hadi. The Council also includes the governor of Hadramawt, a large and oil-rich province that has largely been spared by the civil war’s violence, as well as a sheikh from Saada, the Houthis’ home province, and a member of the General People’s Congress, the former ruling party.
The head of the council, Rashad al-Alimi, is also a member of the GPC and a former Minister of the Interior; he hails from Taiz, which the Houthis have blockaded since 2015.
These individuals only agree on one thing: their opposition to the Houthis. Houthi representatives condemned the creation of the Council. On Twitter, spokesman Mohammed Abdu Salam called it “a desperate attempt to rearrange the ranks of the mercenaries.” It is not yet clear if the Houthis will respond by breaking the two-month ceasefire and returning to the battlefield as soon as possible, or will conclude that they should come to the negotiating table now, before this newly formed coalition threatens their current hold on territory.
Likewise, with their newfound unity, the members of the Council may prefer to re-engage militarily to try to weaken the Houthis’ territorial control and reduce their influence at any future negotiations. Therefore, while the formation of the Council at least reflects some degree of political movement since the Saudis first intervened to back President Hadi seven years ago, it may portend an increase in violence, when the Yemeni population is already so devastated by war and hunger.
The U.S. role is crucial. The Biden administration should make clear to the Saudis, who oversaw the creation of the Council, that they must continue to adhere to the terms of the Ramadan ceasefire, including by allowing flights into Sanaa airport, which have not yet resumed, and fuel ships to reach Hodeidah. This could help to convince the Houthis that negotiating offers a more productive path forward than violence.
The United States also needs to make clear to the Saudis and the newly formed Council that Congress intends to pass a Yemen War Powers Resolution, which would end all U.S. military support for the Saudis. This, more than any other factor, may help incentivize the Saudis and the Council to uphold the ceasefire and push for negotiations rather than a resumption of fighting – by Annelle Sheline
Main points in thread: https://twitter.com/AnnelleSheline/status/1512116366081511425
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A look at Yemen’s new presidential leadership council and its powers
The new council, headed by Major General Dr. Rashad al-Alimi, will temporarily be in charge of Yemen’s political, military, and security sectors during the transition period.
It will reportedly follow the provision of the “Arab Initiative” and wield the power offered to the vice president of Yemen, in addition to that of the presidents.
The council head is supported by seven other members: Sultan Ali al-Arada, Tariq Muhammad Salih, Abed al-Rahman Abu Zara’a, Abdullah al-Alimi Bawazeer, Othman Hussein Megali, Aidarous Qassem al-Zubaidi, and Faraj Salmin al-Bahsani.
These members will share the title of ‘Deputy Chairman of the Presidential Leadership’ and are further supported by a commission of 50 members who will work in an advisory and consultative role with the eight-member committee.
There are also separate legal and economic teams. The council will end its term upon election of a new president.
According to the presidential decree, the newly formed council has the authority to hold talks with Yemen’s Iran-backed Houthis and find a solution to the incessant violence.
It also has the powers to adopt foreign policy; enhance national security, and issue changes to combat terrorism; establish diplomatic relations; enable a state of emergency; and appoint governors, security directors, and supreme court judges.
Al-Alimi was formerly Yemen’s deputy prime minister under the governance of Ali Abdullah Saleh, and previously also served as the interior minister.
In a major incident, al-Alimi was reportedly injured in the explosion of the al-Nahdain Mosque in the Presidential House during Friday prayer in 2011.
The target was the late President Ali Abdullah Saleh and other Yemeni leaders in the country. Al-Alimi was transferred to Saudi Arabia for treatment, Al Arabiya reported, and returned to Sanaa on June 13, 2012 after a year of treatment in Saudi Arabia and Germany, before leaving Sanaa again following a coup by the Iran-backed Houthis.
In 2014, Al Arabiya reported that he was the Advisor to the President of Yemen. He was also reported to hold a PhD in sociology from Ain Shams University in Egypt.
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"Agent of coordinates" is a headline for Saleh's paper, referring to the newly appointed head of the presidential council Rashad Al-Alimi. The paper published a memo in which Mohammed Bin Nayif asked MBS to appoint alalimi as member of the Council for Political& Security Affairs. (image)
The date of the issue is Nov 10, 2015. Alalimi in the memo was praised for supporting the Saudi coalition with intelligence to target sites in Sanaa during the early days of the Saudi-led coalition bombardment in Yemen.
https://twitter.com/Naseh_Shaker/status/1512224537915666439
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The most significant aspect of the recent development in #Yemen is that Salafis who until 2016 were apolitical & quietest now have a seat at the highest decision making authority in the country to complement the unprecedented military power they gained over the past few years!
https://twitter.com/Ndawsari/status/1512483168091312130
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What does Yemen's new leadership mean for the war-torn country?
A new political era?
Hadi, since his election in 2012, failed to impose his authority during a turbulent decade as president of Yemen.
His political opponents have long accused him of corruption, and observers saw his position as head of the ruling body as an obstacle to the unity of the anti-Huthi camp.
Maged al-Madhaji, director of the Sanaa Centre for Strategic Studies, said the move signified an "end to the Hadi era".
"It ends the manner in which Yemen was run during Hadi's era," he told AFP, as the new council is handed "full powers" of the presidency.
"The Hadi government has been weak, incompetent and lacking in legitimacy," Elisabeth Kendall, a researcher at Oxford University, told AFP.
"There has been a general misconception that anti-Huthi meant pro-government. Under Hadi, it did not."
Who are the council members?
The council will consist of eight members and be led by Rashad al-Alimi, a former interior minister and adviser to Hadi.
Half its members are from the country's north, and the other half from the south -- which was a separate state until it unified with the north in 1990.
All "have military and security background and most of them have directly fought the Huthis", said Mohammed Al-Basha, a Yemen expert for the US-based Navanti research group.
It includes Aidarous Al-Zoubeidi, who heads the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC), which is close to the United Arab Emirates and makes no secret of its desires to again have a separate southern state.
The council also includes Tarek Saleh, the nephew of Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was assassinated by his former Huthi allies in 2017.
While all have experience in combat, their political ambitions may pose an obstacle to the work of the council.
"There is no doubt that it will be challenging for this council to work together," said Kendall.
"But if Yemen is to hang together as an integrated state, there is no alternative to a governance structure that shares power between different and sometimes conflicting political groups."
"It is a clear sign either we enter negotiations for peace or this will turn into a war council... that is going to be fighting the Huthis," said Basha.
According to Kendall, the Huthis could be "more open" to a political process, particularly if their position weakens.
"A lot will depend on the new administration's success in consolidating support on the ground, its willingness to compromise," she added.
https://www.france24.com/en/live-news/20220407-what-does-yemen-s-new-leadership-mean-for-the-war-torn-country = https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/afp/article-10696081/What-does-Yemens-new-leadership-mean-war-torn-country.html
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US welcomes Yemen's leadership shakeup as president cedes power
The United States on Thursday said it welcomed the announcement from Yemen’s exiled president that he was ceding his powers to a new leadership council at a pivotal moment in the impoverished country’s grueling civil war.
"We urge the Presidential Leadership Council to abide by the UN-negotiated truce and cooperate with comprehensive UN-led efforts to end the conflict," Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement. "Yemenis must have the opportunity to determine the future of their country."
The departure of Hadi and his vice president, whose government was dogged by corruption allegations, “removes two obstacles to peace,” said Abdulghani Al-Iryani, a senior researcher at the Sana'a Center for Strategic Studies.
But it remains to be seen whether the new presidential council can succeed in restarting negotiations with the Houthis, whose spokesman Mohammed Abdel Salam dismissed the leadership change as “farcical theatrics.”
“The problem is that it is unclear how these various individuals, many of whom have diametrically opposing views, can work together,” tweeted Gregory Johnsen, a former member of the United Nations Panel of Experts for Yemen.
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The Yemen government reorganizes, but will it open the door to end the conflict?
On its face, the move appears to advance the long-stalled implementation of the 2019 Riyadh Agreement that was to bring the secessionist Southern Transitional Council (STC) into alignment with the Hadi government, appoint new cabinet members, and integrate militia elements into the Yemeni armed forces. Earlier efforts in 2020 and beyond failed to move that needle. With Hadi and al-Ahmar sidelined, prospects for implementation may be improved. But the new effort will likely confront many of the same challenges that my colleague Ibrahim Jalal identified in his analysis of the Riyadh Agreement a year ago. In particular, with the inclusion of Aydarous al-Zubaidi, head of the STC, and Sheikh Sultan al-Aradah, governor of Marib, in the Presidential Council, will al-Alimi be able to organize a coherent leadership structure or will this remain a “team of rivals” pursuing disparate goals and objectives? The inclusion of UAE-backed militia commanders Tareq Saleh and Abdel Rahman Abu Zarah in the council will also raise questions about the prospect for greater coordination and cooperation among government-aligned forces on the battlefield.
Beyond the ability of the new government to paper over differences in the anti-Houthi coalition and provide the degree of governance needed to carry Yemen into a political process is the question of Houthi reaction. Specifically, will the Houthis see the changes in government leadership as an invitation to engage in the U.N.-led peace process? The initial reaction by Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdulsalam was unpromising as he called for a continuation of the Houthi “battle for national liberation,” according to press reports. A
When the Houthis refused to participate in the proposed Riyadh Conference, arguing that they would not attend a meeting in the capital of a “party to the conflict,” there was a broad assumption that the meeting had been sapped of significance. Instead, the Houthi boycott may have been a blessing in disguise as it changed the focus of the conclave away from what would likely have been a fruitless attempt to advance a political negotiation to one that offered a new opportunity for the non-Houthi Yemeni political leaders to attempt to unify and agree on a way forward. In that sense, if this effort is successful, it would put the government in a far stronger position when they do sit across the negotiating table from the Houthis to speak credibly on behalf of the majority of Yemenis who do not want to see the Houthis rebuild a theocratic state – by Gerald M. Feierstein, ex-US ambassador to Yemen
https://www.mei.edu/publications/yemen-government-reorganizes-will-it-open-door-end-conflict
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How a political shakeup in Yemen risks prolonging its war
Why then did the Houthis reject the new presidential council? Analysts say the council signals an attempt to unify the ranks of disparate anti-Houthi groups in anticipation of a period of increased confrontation.
The eight-member council is mixed bag of personalities with starkly opposing views on Yemen, with many having "clashed or fought with one another in recent years," Johnsen told CNN. One common ground unites them, however: a distaste for the Houthis.
"They [Saudi Arabia] recognized that they need to make a very big move to really unify the anti-Houthi coalition," said Cinzia Bianco, a research fellow at the European Council on Foreign Relations. "So, this is certainly a gesture toward the Houthis, to show that the anti-Houthi front which has long been very, very divided and fragmented is sort of seeking a new, second life."
Johnsen was skeptical of Saudi Arabia's ability to unify the council members however. Many hold diametrically opposed views on Yemen, he said.
"The Saudis are basically trying to get everybody back on the same page," Johnsen added. "But I think that genie is out of the bottle and I don't think Saudi Arabia is going to be able to really impose any sort of unified action or unity of purpose on these groups."
While there has lately been talk of a renewed appetite to end the conflict, Bianco believes this move bodes the opposite.
"We have to acknowledge that Saudi Arabia expects an escalation in Yemen after the nuclear deal is signed," said Bianco. "Saudi Arabia is trying to do anything they can ... to be more ready to confront an escalation on several regional fronts led by an emboldened Iran."
Johnsen said it's hard to say if the shakeup was "a step forward or a step backward" in the quest for peace in Yemen. "It's hard to imagine Yemen being put back together again as one single state," he said.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/08/middleeast/mideast-summary-04-08-2022-intl/index.html
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Film: Elisabeth Kendall on Al Jazeera (7 Apr 2022)
Yemen's President Hadi cedes power to a new Presidential Council
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8BUoLrM6SqE
Snippet: https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1512099743744233479
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Peter Salisbury: On a more serious note: the announcement that Hadi is ceding his powers to a presidential council made up of key political and military figures with direct roles on the ground is A Big Deal. Most consequential shift in the inner workings of the anti-Huthi bloc since war began.
How this will actually work in practice will be... complicated to say the least.
https://twitter.com/peterjsalisbury/status/1511880444140212227
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Majd Ibrahim: With the Lebanon-ization of #Yemen under way, the questions I can't seem to find an answer to are: how can we (incentivize) a democratic transition of power from now on? How can we convince the new poles of power & their "sugar daddies" to give the power back to the people?
How can we stop them from stabbing each other in the back while trying to look like they're fighting the Houthis & restoring the "legitimacy"? How can we even dream of ever putting another piece of paper with someone's name on it in a box & "choose" the leaders of "our" state?
& lastly, how can we ever prevent this never ending cycle of people being chosen for (us), by the people who care the least about (us), & them being chosen for all the wrong reasons & for the things they're not rather than the things they are
https://twitter.com/majd_gawdat/status/1512043699789778947
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Sama’s Al-Hamdani: The creation of the Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), headed by Dr. Al-Alimi and composed of seven members many of whom are military leaders, is raising a lot of questions - but a legal team of 10 has 45 days to draft the mechanism and regulating laws of the PLC.
https://twitter.com/Yemeniaty/status/1512013479867207680
The shift to a presidential council, the focus on economic and reconciliation teams, coupled with KSA/UAE pledging billions of USD to Yemen tells us that the priority is alleviating the economic crisis. ATM, keeping the military figures engaged is a must while KSA/UAE disengages.
https://twitter.com/Yemeniaty/status/1512014807620362242
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Yemen could be on the cusp of peace
New presidential leadership can break a years-long stalemate, but only if the will is there
The agreement on the new Presidential Leadership Council (PLC) is a significant development, in that it creates a robust political grouping that can give new impetus to efforts to restart the Yemen peace process. It includes all actors on the ground – to the exclusion of the Houthis who chose to stay away from the GCC-sponsored talks in Riyadh.
But the long course of the civil war, full of frustration, shows that fulfilling the potential of the PLC is not inevitable. To keep the process on track, minds must be focused on three key points.
The first is to realise that this is a pivotal moment, the ultimate success of which lies at home. The Houthis have sought to benefit from stagnation among their opponents and could seek to cause further divisions among them.
The second is the need for the international community, too, to seize the moment. The UN now has the evidence for which it has been asking: that factions are willing to compromise. With it, stakeholder countries must engage and offer support when needed and use their clout to push the process along. The PLC will need to work with the UN envoy Hans Grundberg to work towards peace. However, the Houthis must be willing to engage meaningfully and seriously – and if not, pressure must be exerted on them.
Perhaps most importantly of all, it is crucial to understand that time is of the essence. Any stalling could lead to a loss of momentum. The truce that was declared ahead of Ramadan was an important indicator of the possibility of an agreement, even if it has some shortfalls.
All this will only be possible with one principle, which has been lacking throughout the war: will, specifically the will to put aside differences and compromise for the sake of ordinary Yemenis. Regular people are yearning for an end to the war and to have a legitimate and internationally recognised govern
https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/editorial/2022/04/08/yemen-could-be-on-the-cusp-of-peace/
My remark: A pro-Saudi coalition viewpoint.
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Albukhaiti: No point in establishing the presidential council if it won’t function from Yemen
Political commentator Ali Albukhaiti said the establishment of Presidential Leadership Council will go in vain if its president and members don’t carry out their duties from inside Yemen.
Below is a thread Mr. Albukhaiti wrote on Twitter about the major political developments that took place in Riyadh on Thursday:
“There was a desperate need for a change, and it finally came. The most important question for me is, will the newly established Presidential Leadership Council function from Yemen? If they don’t come back to Yemen within two months, this change will probably be meaningless.
No one can work to improve the living, security, and economic conditions unless they experience them themselves. I hereby call on the president of the Presidential Leadership Council and its members to return to Yemen after the holy month of Ramadan to live with the people.
My other question is, will the council have all powers to control the liberated areas? Or will they have powers only in the areas they control? In this case, Saudi Arabia and the UAE will have to intervene to settle their differences.
I also call for creating two joint operation rooms to lead and coordinate military and security operations so that there is a military option in case the Houthi rejected real peace talks, which I believe they will. If there is no military option, then we can say the Riyadh conference was just “the last dinner” before surrendering.
My last question is, how Abdu Rabo Mansour Hadi will be addressed? A former president or something else. If the Saudi media does not address him as a former president, he might do what he did back in Yemen (Resigned his post and then retreated). I think the House of Representatives must officially announce the transformation of powers to the Presidential Leadership Council.
Unless:
Rashad Al Alimi and members of the Presidential Leadership Council move to Aden
Run the country from the inside
Have all powers, including security and military ones
Power is taken from non-official groups and movements
Hadi is addressed as a former president
Everything will go in vain.
As a law specialist, I read the recent decrees and I can say Hadi is still in power. He only transported his powers and he still has the right to get them back any time with one signature, despite the fact that he said he would not back on those decrees. Whoever transforms authority can get it back. Therefore, unless he officially becomes former president, problems will arise.”
https://republicanyemen.net/archives/30894
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Saudi-induced leadership change in Yemen seen as game-changer for war and peace
Yemeni political sources said that Saudi Arabia managed to “gracefully” remove Hadi and his deputy from their positions, in a way that gave the impression the Yemeni president was willingly stepping down.
In response to the demands of various Yemeni groups and personalities, Saudi Arabia moved to ease out interim Yemeni President Abd Rabbo Mansour Hadi and his deputy, Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar from office thus allowing the emergence of a more cohesive and competent Yemeni leadership which can better deal with the challenge posed by the Iran-backed Houthis.
Both figures have been perceived among the main reasons for the lingering crisis, which hindered the unification of Yemen’s internationally-recognised institutions and prevented the building of an effective political and military front against the Houthis.
Attempts to push through the Riyadh Agreement had always run up against Hadi and Al-Ahmar’s efforts to preserve the status quo, each for his own reasons. Hadi had personal interests at stake, while Al-Ahmar was jockeying to safeguard the influence of Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated Islah Party, where he is a leader. Ahmar, has been held responsible by many in Yemen for the faltering of the political and military processes of the last few years.
Sources added that the pressure from Prince Mohammed succeeded in persuading Hadi and the leaders of Yemeni formations to reach consensus on setting up the presidential leadership council embodying all the outgoing president’s powers.
According to sources, Saudi pressures came to the fore in the wake of the opposition of representatives of the Islah party, during political talks in Riyadh, to the appointment of two vice-presidents, considering this a “red line” which could not be crossed.
This was seen as part of the Muslim Brotherhood’s attempts to prevent any progress in the Riyadh talks and keep the Islamist movement’s hold on the legitimate government’s decision-making process.
The sources added Saudi Arabia eventually had to intervene to prevent the failure of the Riyadh consultations and block the Muslim Brotherhood’s manoeuvres aimed at preventing any changes in the distribution of powers in Yemen.
Analysts believe the decision to adjust the Yemeni leadership structure will pave the way for a more effective process that can meet the challenges of war and peace.
Observers say the appointed Presidential Leadership Council reflects the reality of forces on the ground, which should ensure the council's credibility at the popular, political and military levels.
https://thearabweekly.com/saudi-induced-leadership-change-yemen-seen-game-changer-war-and-peace
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Major symbolic move in Yemen as former president transfers “power”
Many Yemeni officials argue that Hadi never had any power or influence on Yemeni affairs and policies ever since his term ended in late 2014 and he fled the county soon after.
The irony is that from the beginning of the Saudi war on Yemen; Hadi, who has also dismissed his “deputy”, did not have any power in Yemen for him to now be “delegating” power.
It does appear more likely that Saudi Arabia is seeking to try and finally end this war after it welcomed a two-month truce last week.
Riyadh has now realized that Hadi has no influence to advance peace talks for the shaky truce to become permanent.
The new “Presidential Leadership Council” is made up of different Saudi and UAE-backed factions that are on the ground in Yemen and will most likely try and take on the role of negotiating a lasting ceasefire deal with Ansarallah.
Saudi Arabia is sending a message to Ansarallah about it’s a commitment to a long-lasting truce while at the same time attempting to save face in a war many say it has lost.
In Hadi’s statement, the new council has the authority to hold talks with the government in Sana’a.
However, Saudi and UAE-backed factions have a history of infighting between themselves with regular heavily armed clashes in Southern Yemen not so long ago.
It remains to be seen if this “council” will hold together and what role it can play effectively to bring peace to Yemen.
At the end of the day, Riyadh pulls the strings here and it hasn’t exactly taken the wisest decisions in the past.
The other question is will the new council be seeking peace in Yemen or try to achieve what Saudi Arabia failed to militarily?
Footage has been published on Saudi state media, showing Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman's meeting with the eight-member council, led by Rashad Al-Alimi (a former government minister), who has close ties with both Riyadh and the Yemeni Islah party.
The new body also includes several leaders of United Arab Emirates-backed factions, including Aidarous al-Zubaidi of the separatist Southern Transitional Council, which has never trusted Islah and vied with Saudi-backed militants for control of Aden in Yemen’s south.
Riyadh has urged the new council to negotiate with Ansarallah who have launched repeated retaliatory attacks on oil installations in Saudi Arabia, including a missile strike on Jeddah last month as the port city was hosting the Formula One Grand Prix.
But what Riyadh also wants is a unified anti-Ansarallah alliance in case the peace talks fail; it’s proxies on the ground will continue battling Yemeni forces with more unity as Riyadh looks for a way out.
The Kingdom has been reluctant to abandon Hadi as it allowed the Saudis to justify their war on Yemen by claiming they were trying to reinstall a Western-backed government.
At the same time his role was problematic for Saudi Arabia, analysts believe, because he was viewed as leading a weak, divided administration outside of Yemen and out of touch with Yemen.
At the Arab League, Hadi, (who Saudi Arabia and the West claim is the President of Yemen) did not speak and could hardly be seen.
The Saudis do desire a permanent peace deal in Yemen. But not from a change of heart for the hundreds of thousands of Yemenis that have died and millions of others who have starved.
Saudi Arabia’s war on Yemen has been a public relations disaster. Even it’s allies in the West are increasingly wary and reluctant to support one of their biggest partners in West Asia.
The Saudi military losses, the attacks on Saudi Aramco oil facilities, and the sight of malnourished Yemeni kids being highlighted ever increasingly by UN aid agencies is not something the West wants to be seen as affiliated with.
Labeling Hadi as the “legitimate President of Yemen” justified the quite horrific bombing campaign and the hundreds of billions of dollars Western arms manufacturers made in profit by selling weapons to Riyadh.
But it was more than just manufacturing weapons and making money.
My remark: An Iranian viewpoint.
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Behind the scene of transfer of power in Yemen
The question arises as to whether this transfer of power will lead to restoring ceasefire and starting political talks with the National Salvation Government (NSG) in Sanaa led by Ansarullah or, conversely, in order to resolve the internal disputes and rivalries of the invading coalition and the mercenaries under them, so that they can emerge with a superior position in future battles through internal reconstruction and reorganization?
The stated positions of Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, the United States and the European Union are that this transfer of power from Mansour Hadi to the eight-member Presidential Council is aimed at establishing a ceasefire and starting political negotiations with the Ansarullah National Salvation Government in Sanaa.
Now the question that arises is to what extent can the positions of the Saudi-Emirati coalition and its Western allies, both American and European, be considered real and trusted? Or basically what are the reasons that make it conceivable? In response, there are some reasons to suggest that the invading coalition and its Western backers, given the increasing deterrent power of the Ansarullah National Salvation Government at all levels, land, sea, and air, can now act as a professional army to target the strategic centers and facilities of the aggressor governments and their Israeli and Western supporters, and also given the necessities of the Ukraine war, they see no other way but to establish a ceasefire and start political negotiations.
But at the same time, there are cases that cast doubt on the correctness of the statements made by the aggressor governments against Yemen and their Western backers. Among other things, they have not and have not adhered to the provisions of the ceasefire, and while less than a week has passed since the ceasefire was announced, they have violated it more than a hundred times
https://iranpress.com/content/57301/behind-the-scene-transfer-power-yemen
My remark: An Iranian viewpoint.
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Yemen's presidential council: A disparate new leadership imposed from abroad
The Saudi and UAE-backed body succeeding Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi is tasked with uniting fractured anti-Houthi forces
Yemen analyst Adam Baron told Middle East Eye that the main purpose of the council was to unify the anti-Houthi forces in the country, which have become increasingly fractured by in-fighting and competing interests.
"The makeup of the council is largely split between different representatives of key political, societal and military groupings," he explained.
"I wouldn't say it's UAE-dominated, though UAE-aligned people do make up a significant proportion of its members."
Among those involved are figures connected to the separatist Southern Transitional Council (STC), the powerful Giants Brigade militia, as well as Tareq Saleh, nephew of late Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh. All have close ties to the UAE.
But a number of other figures in the council are linked to the Islah party, the Yemeni wing of the Muslim Brotherhood, which has long been deeply at odds with the UAE and its proxies.
Others were previously affiliated with the General People's Congress, the political party of Saleh's administration, which ruled Yemen from 1993 before being ousted in 2012 following the Arab Spring demonstrations.
As drips of information from Saudi Arabia indicate that Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman is increasingly determined to extract his country from the long-running conflict.
"You can’t be optimistic in Yemen. The council wasn’t formed through Yemeni-Yemeni talks, it was a result of exterior forces," said Maysaa Shuja al-Deen, a senior researcher at the Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies.
"The participants and negotiators in the discussions in Riyadh did not know that a council was being formed. The decision to form the government does not have any Yemeni touch, which is worrying."
Few would disagree that there was a need for a change in status quo.
"Hadi was a totally inefficient guy," said one analyst, who did not want to be named, describing the ageing and reportedly unwell leader as a "stumbling block" for any future negotiations.
After seven years of war, Yemen has been left in ruins, while the country remains more divided than at any point since the 1994 war between north and south.
Shuja al-Deen, who pointed out that she had been one of those advocating the establishment of a presidential council since May 2021, said the main problem remained the lack of input from actual Yemenis.
"I was calling for a council that had a supervisory role rather than an executive role, to solve the problem of having a defunct parliament elected in 2003 and no longer representative of the country’s main political stakeholders or the people," she said, pointing out that the parliament had met once, in 2019, since the beginning of the conflict.
She said the problem ultimately stemmed from an "incompetent" political elite and that simply shuffling the top deck of politicians - all of whom were beholden to foreign powers - would do little to effect change.
"The decision was made in Riyadh, without people’s knowledge, without consultation with Yemeni political forces," she said.
"Instead, it was a result of a closed meeting between MBS with Hadi and some political actors."
(* B P)
Yemen: Hadi dismissed to establish a unified front against the Houthis
The Yemeni president announces the transfer of presidential powers to an eight-member college. A decision seen as an attempt to unify groups opposing the Houthis for possible peace negotiations.
"The chosen format of this Council is meant to allow for the inclusion of representatives from different key political factions, in line with a broader 'unification' of various non-Houthi or anti-Houthi groups," says Adam Baron, author and specialist political analyst over Yemen and the Gulf.
This formula evokes that of the Riyadh agreement signed in November 2019 with the aim of unifying the non-Houthi groups between which dissension and tensions have multiplied in recent years, at the expense of the fight against the Houthis. The text thus provided for a sharing of ministerial posts between the CTS, supported by the United Arab Emirates, and the exiled government of Hadi including the Islah party. While the implementation of the agreement had been laborious and of limited effectiveness, the Presidential Council "is more likely to succeed because it establishes a stricter structure, excludes unpopular figures such as Vice President Ali Mohsen al -Ahmar (Sunni general frowned upon by the Houthis as much as by the Yemenis in the south for his military campaigns in their regions in the 1990s),
The Wahhabi kingdom thus called on the Presidential Council to begin negotiations with the Houthi rebels under the auspices of the UN, while the latter had refused to take part in the talks in Saudi Arabia, which they consider to be a party to the conflict. While cross-border attacks on its territory are commonplace, finding a way out of the Yemeni crisis remains a priority for Riyadh
"The file is all the more urgent for the international community as the cross-border attacks of the Houthis are exacerbating the instability of the oil markets already impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine", underlines Elisabeth Kendall.
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Yemen peace talks: The end of years of civil war?
"I am a bit skeptical of how well they will play with each other, as the members of the presidential council come from various backgrounds with different agendas," according to Hisham Al-Omeisy, a conflict analyst who himself once was imprisoned by the Houthi fighters.
For instance, some council members represent groups that seek a split from the Houthi north of the country, while others want to maintain the unity of the country.
"And that's just one of the issues they will have to deal with. Other issues are the streamlining of the military and the security organizations inside the country. Who gets to control the military apparatus, the internal security apparatus, the ministry of defense?" Al-Omeisy told DW.
"This amount of financial aid [promised by Saudis and UAE] is certainly a big step, and at the same time a drop in the ocean," Jens Heibach, research fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), told DW. He explained that the country was devastated by the war and that "compared to what the UN has been asking for to ensure humanitarian aid for the next year, this amount is insignificant," adding that "while the money is important, it is not guaranteed that it will actually arrive, into which channels it will flow and to what extent the Houthis will be able to negotiate, for example, how it will be used."
And yet, despite those uncertainties, the financial aid and the establishment of the presidential council are widely regarded as positive steps that could bear fruit.
https://www.dw.com/en/yemen-peace-talks-the-end-of-years-of-civil-war/a-61407514
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EXPLAINED: Saudi Arabia Shakes Up Yemen Alliance in Bid to Exit Quagmire
The move aims to unify anti-Houthi ranks by giving more parties a say and sidelining divisive figures — Hadi and his dismissed deputy, a top general who in the past fought both the Houthis and southern separatists.
Saudi Arabia is fatigued by a costly war that had been in military stalemate for years and is a sore point with U.S. President Joe Biden’s administration, which recalibrated ties with Riyadh due to the 2018 murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
“The council’s appointment points to how unsustainable the status quo had become, particularly after Houthi breakthroughs in central Yemen last year," said Peter Salisbury, a senior analyst at International Crisis Group.
“There was a sense that without some big changes the Houthis would eventually win the war."
The situation remains fragile and it is not clear whether the warring sides will opt for talks or try to secure military gains ahead of any negotiations, jeopardising a rare two-month truce brokered by the United Nations that began on Saturday.
It is also uncertain whether the new council will be able to maintain cohesion given Yemen’s fractious history.
https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220407-saudi-arabia-shakes-up-yemen-alliance-in-bid-to-exit-quagmire/ = https://www.news18.com/news/explainers/explained-saudi-arabia-shakes-up-yemen-alliance-in-bid-to-exit-quagmire-4953302.html = https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/saudi-arabia-shakes-up-yemen-alliance-in-bid-to-exit-quagmire-1.5853712
(A P)
Islah Party: A consensual presidential council headed by Dr. Rashad Al-Alimi ends the political and inter-related conflicts between the components of legitimacy [Hadi gov.] and renews hope for the unification of political efforts and military components to confront the coup [Houthis], restore the Yemeni state, provide services and stability, and return the authorities to exercise their powers from within.
https://twitter.com/alijradee/status/1511887161607561225
(A P)
Yemen pins hopes on new leadership council
All Gulf states have welcomed Hadi’s decision because supporting this important move at this critical stage of the war will help create the right conditions for the UN and GCC efforts to revive the peace talks. In addition, it will encourage the anti-Al Houthi forces to unite and focus on the national goal of saving Yemen, restoring stability and preserving its territorial unity.
The GCC realises that this decision was necessary because of the government’s inability to stop the rapid deterioration of the political, military and economic conditions. The new council will hopefully give a much-needed boost to the government efforts, especially in improving the living conditions of millions of Yemenis in the liberated regions.
But the main task is to unite all national forces to stop Al Houthi aggression and pressure the militia into ending its war on the Yemeni people.
https://gulfnews.com/opinion/editorials/yemen-pins-hopes-on-new-leadership-council-1.87030901
My remark: A pro-Saudi coalition viewpoint.
(* A P)
Houthi leader Mohammed Ali al-Houthi: Saudi-hosted consultations and formation of the presidential council in #Riyadh are a Saudi internal affair and have nothing to do with us (#Yemen), tweet.
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1512205207291273223
(* A P)
Abdulsalam: Yemeni People Not Abide by Saudi Conciliation Outcomes with Unrecognized Party
The head of the [Sanaa gov.] National Delegation Mohammad Abdulsalam deplored on Thursday the decisions of the pro-Saudi government in the so-called Presidential Leadership Council formation. He stressed that the present and future of Yemen are decided within Yemen.
“The present and future of Yemen is decided within Yemen, and any decisions outside its borders are farcical and recreational plays practiced by the countries of aggression,” Abdulsalam said.
He stressed that the path to peace must start by stopping the aggression, lifting the siege, and ending the expelling foreign forces, and then talking about political dialogue, otherwise any conference is a desperate attempt to rearrange the ranks of the US-Saudi mercenaries to push them towards further escalation.
Abdulsalam stressed that the Yemeni people are not abiding by Saudi outcomes with an unrecognized party issued outside the borders of their country.
He explained that these measures are pushing towards escalation by regrouping scattered and conflicting militias into one framework that serves the interests of US-Saudi aggression.
Saudi Arabia is trying to reuse its mercenaries by removing the Saudi-backed former president Hadi and appointing a group of mercenaries affiliated with it to form a council that follows it.
Former Yemeni president, a staunch ally of Riyadh, has handed over his self-proclaimed powers to a newly established body, in what appears to be another sign of the failure of the Saudi-led war that began seven years ago with the main goal of reinstalling him by force.
and also https://en.ypagency.net/258585/
https://www.farsnews.ir/en/news/14010119000457/Ansarllah-Welcmes-Hadi
(A P)
Sacked Yemen vice president Al-Ahmar welcomes new presidential council
Yemen vice president Ali Mohsen Al-Ahmar on Friday announced his support for the formation of a new presidential council, a day after he was dismissed from his role by President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi.
"I welcome the issuance of the presidential declaration on the transfer of power, the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council, and its accompanying bodies and teams, to complete the transitional phase," Al-Ahmar said in one of a series of tweets about the council.
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/sacked-yemen-vp-welcomes-new-presidential-council
(A P)
STC welcomes outcomes of GCC-sponsored consultations
http://en.adenpress.news/news/34837
https://debriefer.net/en/news-29291.html
(A P)
Arab States welcome formation of Presidential Council in Yemen
https://www.aa.com.tr/en/middle-east/arab-states-welcome-formation-of-presidential-council-in-yemen/2557795 = https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220407-arab-states-welcome-formation-of-presidential-council-in-yemen/
(* A P)
Blinken, Sec. of State: The United States Welcomes Government Reform in Yemen
The United States welcomes the announcement of the formation of a Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen. We support the aspirations of the Yemeni people for an effective, democratic, and transparent government that includes diverse political and civil society voices, including women and other marginalized groups. Most importantly, Yemenis deserve a government that protects rights and freedoms while promoting justice, accountability, and reconciliation.
The United States remains committed to helping advance a durable, inclusive resolution to the conflict in Yemen. We urge the Presidential Leadership Council to abide by the UN-negotiated truce and cooperate with comprehensive UN-led efforts to end the conflict. Yemenis must have the opportunity to determine the future of their country. We urge all the parties to choose the path of peace and dialogue.
https://www.state.gov/the-united-states-welcomes-government-reform-in-yemen/
(A P)
Film by NEA Press Office: [US] Special Envoy Lenderking's Connect the World Interview With Becky Anderson 4-6-2022
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8CJilt7y2Y
(A P)
Yemen - Formation of a Presidential Council (07 Apr. 2022)
France welcomes today’s establishment of a presidential council bringing together Yemen’s main political groups. It is an important step toward restoring a State engaged in the political process that serves all Yemenis.
We applaud the vital role played by the Gulf Cooperation Council, and especially Saudi Arabia, in supporting consultations between Yemeni actors in Riyadh, as well as the announcement of financial support for Yemen and its institutions.
(* A P)
VAE begrüßen die Entscheidung des jemenitischen Präsidenten, den Presidential Leadership Council in Jemen einzusetzen
Die Vereinigten Arabischen Emirate begrüßten die Entscheidung des jemenitischen Präsidenten Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, den Präsidialen Führungsrat zu bilden, um die Umsetzung der Übergangsphase zu vollenden und dem Präsidenten im Einklang mit der Verfassung, der GCC-Initiative und ihrem Exekutivmechanismus volle Befugnisse zu übertragen.
Darüber hinaus brachten die VAE ihre Hoffnung zum Ausdruck, dass dieser Schritt zu einer umfassenden politischen Lösung zwischen den jemenitischen Parteien beitragen wird, um Frieden, Stabilität, Entwicklung und Wohlstand für den Jemen und seine Bevölkerung zu erreichen.
In einer Erklärung bekräftigte das Ministerium für auswärtige Angelegenheiten und internationale Zusammenarbeit (MoFAIC) die volle Unterstützung der VAE für den Präsidialführungsrat und die ihn unterstützenden Gremien, damit dieser seine Aufgaben erfüllen, die Krise im Jemen beenden, Sicherheit und Stabilität im Jemen erreichen und die Hoffnungen des jemenitischen Volkes auf Entwicklung und Wohlstand verwirklichen kann.
Die VAE begrüßten die Aufforderung des Königreichs Saudi-Arabien an den Präsidialrat, unter der Schirmherrschaft der Vereinten Nationen Verhandlungen mit den Houthis aufzunehmen, um eine endgültige und umfassende politische Lösung zu finden, die auch eine Übergangszeit umfasst. Darüber hinaus unterstrichen die VAE die zentrale Rolle, die das Königreich bei der Erreichung von Stabilität und Sicherheit im Jemen spielt.
https://www.wam.ae/de/details/1395303037980
(* A P)
UAE welcomes Yemeni President's decision to establish the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen
The UAE welcomed the decision by Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, President of Yemen, to form the Presidential Leadership Council to complete the implementation of the transitional phase and delegate full presidential powers in accordance with the constitution, the GCC Initiative, and its executive mechanism.
Moreover, the UAE expressed its hope that this step would contribute to reaching a comprehensive political solution between the Yemeni parties in order to achieve peace, stability, development, and prosperity for Yemen and its people.
In a statement, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MoFAIC) affirmed the UAE's full support for the Presidential Leadership Council and its supporting bodies to enable it to carry out its tasks, end the Yemen crisis, achieve security and stability in Yemen, and realize the aspirations of the Yemeni people for development and prosperity.
The UAE welcomed the call by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia for the Presidential Leadership Council to initiate negotiations with the Houthis under the auspices of the United Nations to reach a final and comprehensive political solution that includes a transitional period. Furthermore, the UAE underscored the pivotal role played by the Kingdom in achieving stability and security for Yemen.
The UAE also commended the continuous efforts made by the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council to support peace and stability in Yemen and reach a comprehensive political solution between the Yemeni parties.
The UAE renewed its commitment to standing by the Yemeni people and supporting their ambitions and aspirations as part of efforts to contribute towards serving the interests of the region's peoples.
https://www.wam.ae/en/details/1395303037808
(* A P)
Saudi Arabia Welcomes Yemeni President’s Decision to Delegate Powers to Presidential Leadership Council
Out of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s continuous endeavors to support peace and stability in Yemen and reach a comprehensive political solution among Yemeni parties in a bid to realize peace, development and prosperity for Yemen and its people, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomes the announcement of Yemeni President Abd-Rabbo Mansour Hadi - according to the Yemeni constitution and the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanisms - to establish a Presidential Leadership Council to proceed with the duties of the transitional period, and delegating the council with all powers of the president of the republic according to the constitution and the Gulf initiative and its executive mechanisms.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia stresses its full support for the Presidential Leadership Council and assisting entities to enable it practice duties in implementing effective policies and initiatives that would realize security and stability in Yemen and end the Yemeni crisis.
In this regard, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia announced a decision of offering urgent support to the Yemeni economy with a total value of USD 3 billion as the following:
First: Providing USD 2 billion, offered jointly by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, in support for the Yemeni Central Bank.
Second: Providing USD 1 billion from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, including USD 600 million to the fund of buying oil derivatives and USD 400 million to support development projects and initiatives.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia also announced offering USD 300 million to fund the humanitarian response plan announced by the UN in 2022
https://www.spa.gov.sa/viewfullstory.php?lang=en&newsid=2344232
and
(A P)
Crown Prince receives president and members of Yemen Leadership Council
Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defense, received on Thursday the president and members of the Yemen Presidential Leadership Council.
The Crown Prince expressed Saudi Arabia's support for the Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council and its aspiration that the council’s establishment would contribute to the start of a new chapter that would move Yemen from war to peace and development (photos)
Film: https://twitter.com/spagov/status/1511922170892537857 = https://twitter.com/RepYemenEnglish/status/1511932618094354432
(* A P)
GCC-brokered Yemeni consultations seek to bring peace to war-torn country
For the first time in more than a decade, almost all of Yemen’s feuding leaders came together in one building in Riyadh in a bid to settle their disputes.
The Gulf Cooperation Council last month invited all Yemeni political, tribal and religious leaders, journalists, activists, economists and the heads of nongovernmental organizations to join unprecedented talks in the Saudi capital under its aegis to examine and propose solutions to the country’s problems.
With the exception of the Iran-backed Houthis, who turned down the invitation, hundreds of people engaged in the talks to draw up a road map for bringing peace and stability to war-torn Yemen.
During the discussions, members of the General People’s Congress — the party of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh — exchanged views for hours with supporters of the Islamist Islah party, which led the Arab Spring-inspired protests against Saleh in 2011.
The leaders of the pro-independence Southern Transitional Council discussed ideas with those they fought in Aden in 2018 and 2019.
Sarhan Al-Minaikher, the GCC ambassador to Yemen, said that almost 1,000 people participated in the Yemeni-Yemeni consultations, and that the participants were left in closed rooms to privately, transparently and directly exchange views without any interference from the Gulf bloc or any other country.
The most important outcome of the consultations was the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council
During the closing ceremony, the participants came out with recommendations that called upon the new presidential body to start engaging in talks with the Houthis to end the war, supported boosting and reforming state bodies, and allowed them to function in Yemen.
The participants also called for fighting terrorism, opening roads between Yemeni cities that were closed during the war and seeking an international donor conference for mobilizing funds to the country.
The Riyadh consultations are the latest in a string of initiatives and peace ideas proposed by Saudi Arabia, the Gulf bloc and the UN to bring an end to the violence.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2058741/middle-east
My remark: A pro-Saudi coalition viewpoint.
(* B P)
Yemeni women press for greater inclusion in peace talks
Women in Yemen must be included in all aspects of peace talks for the sake of long-term stabilisation in the country, female officials and academics have told The National.
Female stakeholders in the nascent political process said they had not been allowed to participate fully in talks in Riyadh that concluded on Thursday.
“Women’s participation in the Riyadh consultations were little but effective. They participated in five committees but were excluded from the security and combating terrorism one, which I think was the most important,” Hooria Mashhour, Yemen’s former human rights minister who participated in the talks, told The National.
“It was vital to include them in the security committee as they can contribute effectively and can include the victim’s points of view."
(* B P)
[written before the Presidential Council had been established]
Presidential Councils in Yemen: Exploring Past Attempts at Power Sharing and Possibilities for the Future
From Introduction
During the past six years of war, President Abdo Rabbu Mansour Hadi has failed in administering the situation in Yemen on the military and political levels. For many Yemenis, Hadi, after spending much of the conflict in exile in Saudi Arabia, is viewed not as a legitimate president but as cover for the Saudi war in Yemen, given that the Saudi-led coalition regularly asserts that its intervention is entirely at the request of Hadi and the internationally recognized Yemeni government. This lack of legitimacy and authority has resulted in the proliferation of militia rule across Yemen – most notably the armed Houthi movement, but also groups supposedly allied with the Hadi government.
Still, an argument persists that Hadi, despite his failings, is indispensable as the last symbol of the legitimacy of the Yemeni state. This line of reasoning has its logic
However, this line of reasoning crucially overlooks many devastating consequences that have resulted from Hadi’s unaccountable presidency, as well as the important fact that ending the war does not serve Hadi’s personal interests, as he would likely become dispensable in a post-conflict context. The presidential office, operating largely in exile since the war began, has become a hotbed of corruption. Meanwhile, Hadi’s efforts to marginalize southern rivals helped spawn the Southern Transitional Council, creating a massive fracture in the anti-Houthi camp.
Given that President Hadi has become an obstacle to peace and good governance, alternatives for achieving a more collaborative and accountable Yemeni government, and putting it on a stronger path politically, should be explored. One option in this regard is the formation of a presidential council
It must be noted that this paper seeks only to explore how such a body could be formed on the internationally recognized government’s side. However, should such a presidential council prove successful and improve governance in the country, incorporating Houthi representation into the body is one possible avenue to consider in future peace talks.
To further explore the idea of a presidential council, it is useful to examine past executive councils in Yemen’s history, including their composition, strengths and weaknesses. This includes councils under four different presidents in the Yemen Arab Republic (North Yemen) from 1962-1978, a ruling council in the People’s Democratic Republic of Yemen (South Yemen) from 1969-1978 and, finally, a presidential council following unification in 1990. The fact that many of these councils were ultimately judged to be ineffective or overthrown by force makes such an examination more critical, in the hope that identifying past issues may help a potential future executive council avoid similar pitfalls.
Recommendations for a Future Presidential Council
The primary aims in forming a presidential council should be preventing the individual monopolization of power and instituting more collective decision-making in a body representing Yemen’s major social and political groups. In terms of numbers, the council must balance the need to represent the country’s main stakeholders while also striving to limit the number of seats to facilitate the efficiency of its work.
The executive council should be given clear and limited mandates laid out in the council’s regulations. These should include the authority to make certain appointments such as the prime minister, provide oversight on government institutions and set the general framework for foreign and defense policies. It should be granted limited access to the financial budget of the state, given that its main mission is oversight, not implementation.
While a change at the executive level of the internationally recognized government is not a panacea to Yemen’s problems, reformulating how presidential power is exercised is a crucial step that can be carried out alongside other reforms to put the government on a more stable footing. Real debate and discussion on how the Yemeni government can better exercise executive authority is necessary to pull the country out of its multiple crises. In this process of reform, the priority must be ensuring fair and inclusive representation without weakening the performance of the government.
https://sanaacenter.org/publications/analysis/14140
cp1b Am wichtigsten: Waffenstillstand / Most important: Truce
Siehe / Look at cp2a
(* B P)
Explained: Contours of Yemen’s first ceasefire in over 6 years
[Roundup]
What is the new truce deal?
Why has the Yemen President stepped down?
https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/yemen-truce-ceasefire-explained-7860914/
(* A P)
US-Saudi Coalition to Regret Tampering with UN Sponsored Truce
The first week of the military humanitarian truce in Yemen is almost over, however, the first flight is not able to land at Sanaa airport, which is besieged by the US-Saudi aggression.
A [Sanaa] government source accused the coalition of procrastinating in implementing the most important term of truce which was the opening of Sana’a International Airport to a limited number of commercial flights to two specific destinations.
He revealed that the Jordanian request to accept passports issued from Aden threatened the continuation of the truce. He said that the Yemeni presidency had informed the United Nations that the truce was meaningless if the passports issued by Sanaa were refused and the Jordanian delay continued with the push of the coalition, adding that Sana’a realizes that the coalition is putting obstacles in the details without achieving the opening of Sana'a airport.
Earlier, The head of the Supreme Medical Committee, Dr. Mutahar Al-Darwish, revealed in statements to Almasirah channel that half of the seats for these 16 humanitarian flights have been allocated according to the terms of the truce for patients who need to travel abroad for treatment.
He added that 30,000 people who need to travel abroad are listed with the Higher Medical Committee, and thousands more are registered with medical centers in the capital, Sana'a, and other governorates.
Sana'a International Airport receives various international flights daily. It is closed only to Yemenis, and according to the Director General of the airport, Khaled Al-Shayef, he confirms the readiness of Sana'a Airport since the first day to receive the flights that were agreed upon within the humanitarian and military truce.
(* B P)
Yemen’s Sanaa Airport prepares to reopen amid strong interest in flights
Yemeni national airline's US agent says hundreds of citizens have asked about bookings
The planned reopening of the international airport in Yemen's rebel-held capital has raised hopes not solely among Yemenis trapped by the country's civil war but also those living abroad who have been unable to visit their homeland during the conflict.
Sanaa International Airport will start receiving commercial flights for the first time since 2016 under the terms of a two-month truce brokered by the United Nations between the Iran-backed Houthi group and the internationally recognised government.
Although the truce became effective on April 2, the first day of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, no date has been set for reopening the airport as it is still undergoing repairs to infrastructure and equipment.
Air travel to and from Sanaa will open doors to life-saving medical treatment, long overdue family reunions and extend a lifeline to millions of Yemenis in the rebel-held north.
Commercial flights to Yemen currently operate only to the port city of Aden and to Seiyun in Hadramawt province, both in the government-held south.
“Sanaa airport is important for people living in the highly populated areas of the north like Marib, Al Mahwit and Hajjah,” said Baligh Al Mekhlafi, media adviser at Yemen’s embassy in Egypt.
“Right now, a road trip to Aden from Marib, Al Mahwit or Hajjah by car can take up to 24 hours when it used to require only four,” he told The National.
"The routes people sometimes take to get to Aden can be unsafe, closed or unfinished."
Besides the distance and road conditions, some routes carry the risk of mines.
“Elderly and sick people usually travel to Egypt for treatment or medical tourism, and so the [Sanaa] airport will now make that easier for them,” Mr Al Mekhlafi said.
The reopening of Sanaa's airport will also be a boon to Yemenis living abroad, particularly those in the United States, says Waddah Mubarez, who runs the Mubarez travel agency in New York.
(* A P)
UN efforts continue
Already ahead of the latest political developments, the UN had been pushing for peace between Saudi Arabia and the Houthi group.
For this, the UN special envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg had laid out a new framework for talks, which de facto ignored the existing UN Security Council resolution 2216.
That resolution had called for Houthi disarmament and territorial surrender. Up until a few weeks ago, the Saudi-led coalition had insisted on those conditions.
"Hans Grundberg has basically eroded resolution 2216 allowing for a face-keeping solution for Saudi Arabia," Heibach told DW.
In detail, it was agreed that the Houthi group could keep its arms but would stop firing cruise missiles, and that the Saudis partially lifted the blockade of Houthi-controlled ports and the airport Sanaa.
https://www.dw.com/en/yemen-peace-talks-the-end-of-years-of-civil-war/a-61407514
(A K P)
UN Special Envoy for #Yemen Hans Grundberg: “I am following very closely the latest developments in #Marib and urge all parties to show restraint and their continued commitment to the truce as promised to Yemenis.”
https://twitter.com/OSE_Yemen/status/1512445061836980229
(A K pH)
Coalition breaches UN-proposed truce in Yemen 800 times in 144 hours
https://en.ypagency.net/258627/
and
(* A K pH)
Aggression, mercenaries commit 152 violations of armistice in past 24 hours
The aggression and its mercenaries committed 152 violations of the UN declared truce in the past 24 hours, a military official said on Friday.
The official added the aggression's armed reconnaissance aircrafts flew over Hajjah and Jawf provinces 19 times and 59 times on Marib, Jawf, Hajjah, Sa'ada, Lahj, Bayda and Amran provinces.
He confirmed that the mercenaries of the aggression created combat fortifications, behind al-Fayeh hill in Wadi Ubaidah area in Marib province and carried out an infiltration attempt in al-Hadd in Lahj province and an offensive operation on the sites of the army and the popular committees in al-Akd in Marib province.
The official pointed out that the aggression mercenaries fired 14 missiles and artillery shells on the sites of the army and the popular committees.
He said the mercenaries intensely shelled with artillery shelling the army and the popular committee sites in al-Balaq al-Sharqi, al-Jarda, al-Akd, al-Faliha, al-Naqa' al-Sufla and al-Sa'ila areas in Marib, Mazraat al-Hamdani and Wadi Umm al-Khashab areas west of Haradh in Hajjah and in al-Madafen area in Sa'ada.
The official stated that 57 violations were recorded with heavy gunfire targeting the citizens' houses and the army and popular committee sites in Marib, Jawf, Sa'ada, Hajjah, Lahj and Dhalea provinces.
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3182696.htm
and
(A K pH)
Aggression violates Hodeida ceasefire truce 67 times
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3182717.htm
https://en.ypagency.net/258618/
and
(A K pS)
A Houthi missile hit downtown #Marib city minutes ago. No casualties reported yet.
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1512634707049172993
and
(A K pH)
In Violation of Truce, Saudi-backed Militants Launch Wide Advance South of Marib
Saudi-backed militants launched a massive advance south of the city of Marib, in a grave breach of the UN-brokered truce.
A military source told Almasirah Net that the fighters of the Army and Popular Committees are confronting the encroachment of the mercenaries of the aggression in Al-Wadi district.
The source pointed out that the advance of the Saudi-backed militants coincided with the intense flight of the spy fighter aircraft.
and also https://en.ypagency.net/258611/ = https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2022/04/08/yemeni-forces-defeat-saudi-attack-near-marib/
and reported by Xinhua: https://english.news.cn/20220408/86458ad5eb07455686fe286f47d91a6d/c.html
and
(A K pH)
Sanaa comments on coalition’s violation of truce in Marib
[Sanaa gov.] Deputy Foreign Minister in Sanaa, Hussein Al-Ezzi, commented on the violations being continued by the Saudi-led coalition against the UN-brokered armistice in Yemen.
Al-Ezzi said on Twitter: “Violations are growing, the latest of which is an offensive attack waged by the coalition on the positions of our fighters in Marib.”
https://en.ypagency.net/258639/
and
(* A K pS)
[Hadi gov.] Yemen troops battle new Houthi attacks near Marib
Fierce fighting broke out on Friday on the outskirts of Yemen’s central city of Marib after the Iran-backed Houthis mounted a new attack on government forces defending the strategic location.
The Yemeni Defense Ministry said that army troops and allied tribesmen were fending off a major Houthi assault at flashpoint sites in Juba district, south of Marib.
The attack has been described as the biggest since April 2, the first day of a two-month truce brokered by the UN.
Yemen’s government has accused the Houthis of exploiting the ceasefire and absence of Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen warplanes by mobilizing new forces and military equipment including tanks, artillery, and BMP infantry fighting vehicles.
The army said that the Houthis had committed at least 100 violations of the truce in contested areas in Hodeidah, Jouf, Taiz, Saada, Hajjah, and Marib. The Houthis accused the Yemeni government of attacking their forces in Marib on Friday.
Yemen’s government has accused the Houthis of exploiting the ceasefire and absence of Coalition to Restore Legitimacy in Yemen warplanes by mobilizing new forces and military equipment including tanks, artillery, and BMP infantry fighting vehicles.
The army said that the Houthis had committed at least 100 violations of the truce in contested areas in Hodeidah, Jouf, Taiz, Saada, Hajjah, and Marib. The Houthis accused the Yemeni government of attacking their forces in Marib on Friday.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2059456/middle-east
and
(A K pS)
A [Hadi gov. army] military source told me 2 soldiers killed & 4 others injured ystrdy mostly by Houthi drone attacks, adding Houthis began making new defensive positions & digging trenches in some positions western fronts of #Marib, while continuing mobilization in south & north fronts.
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1512568227854958592
and
(* A K pS)
Reports on fierce fighting going on now between government and Houthi forces in Marib in violation of the ceasefire. Government army forces have accused the Houthis of attacking them, while no comment from the Houthis on such reports.
https://twitter.com/mohammedalqadhi/status/1512241263214567428
Houthis launching an attack on the govt forces southern front of #Marib now. Heavy artillery are being used by both side, according to military sources.
https://twitter.com/Alsakaniali/status/1512224835337871371
The Houthi military objective of capturing Marib has not ceased to exist as there barely is any credible mechanism to monitor compliance by truce
https://twitter.com/Ibrahim4Yemen/status/1512228436202377220
and
(* A K pH)
Aggression forces, mercenaries commit 98 breaches of armistice over past 24 hours
The US-Saudi-Emirati aggression coalition forces and their mercenaries committed 98 violations of the humanitarian and military truce during the past 24 hours, a military official reported on Thursday.
The official told the Yemeni News Agency (Saba) that the violations included the flights of Apache warplanes in the airspace of the border fronts, and 40 sorties of armed reconnaissance aircrafts in the airspace of the provinces of Marib, Jawf, Hajjah, Sa’ada, Lahj, Dhalea, Bayda, and Amran.
The aggression mercenaries created three combat fortifications in Al-Rossi hill in Taiz province and west of Al-Kadf area in Hiran district of Hajjah, and in Sultan site in Jizan, according the official.
He said that 5 artillery bombardments of the aggression mercenaries were monitored on the sites of the army and popular committees in Al-Akd area in Marib, Al-Haqol area in Jawf, Al-Dhabab area in Taiz, Al-Batoul in Al-Malahidh area in Sa’ada, and in Maleh area in Bayda.
The official stated that 43 violations with heavy gunfire on the citizens' houses and the sites of the army and popular committees were recorded in the provinces of Marib, Taiz, Ja
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3182616.htm
and also https://hodhodyemennews.net/en_US/2022/04/07/saudi-led-coalition-violates-ceasefire-in-yemen-98-times/ = https://en.ypagency.net/258572/
and
(* A K pH)
US-Saudi Aggression Violates Humanitarian Truce in 550 Incidents
The US-Saudi aggression and its mercenaries continued to violate the humanitarian and military truce with 550 attacks during the last 96 hours.
and
(A K pH)
Aggression violates Hodeida ceasefire truce 83 times
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3182643.htm
https://en.ypagency.net/258564/
(* A P)
Weniger Gewalt im Jemen seit Beginn der Waffenruhe
Seit Beginn der Waffenruhe im Jemen ist die Gewalt in dem Land nach Angaben der Vereinten Nationen deutlich zurückgegangen. „In einem langen und brutalen Krieg ist dies eine seltene Gelegenheit, Fortschritte hin zu einer politischen Lösung zu machen“, sagte der UN-Sonderbeauftragte für den Jemen, Hans Grundberg, am Mittwoch. Um mögliche militärische "Vorfälle" zu vermeiden und zu entschärfen, solle auch die Kommunikation zwischen den Konfliktparteien verbessert werden.
Grundberg stellte klar, dass es sich um eine Vereinbarung der Konfliktparteien handle, die von den UN nicht überwacht würde. „Bei jeder Waffenruhe sind die ersten Tage die wichtigsten und die empfindlichsten.“ Vor allem in der umkämpften Provinz Marib gebe es weiterhin Berichte über feindliche militärische Handlungen. Seit Samstag warfen die Konfliktparteien sich gegenseitig mehrfach vor, gegen die Waffenruhe verstoßen zu haben.
Ob Fortschritte auf politischer Ebene folgen, ist unklar. In Riad laufen derzeit Gespräche über den Konflikt - allerdings ohne die Huthis, die statt Saudi-Arabien einen neutralen Gastgeber fordern.
https://www.diepresse.com/6122133/weniger-gewalt-im-jemen-seit-beginn-der-waffenruhe?from=rss = https://der-farang.com/de/pages/un-deutlich-weniger-gewalt-im-jemen-seit-beginn-der-waffenruhe
und auch https://www.nzz.ch/international/jemen-waffenruhe-in-einem-versehrten-land-ld.1678110 [nur im Abo]
(* B P)
Yemen: Peace at last?
Biden’s refusal to deal with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has had more impact on the Saudis than often portrayed; it clearly rankles the prince who is the architect of the disastrous war in Yemen. Biden should stand firm on his position.
The cease-fire leaves the Houthis in possession of the missiles and drones they have used to bombard Saudi and Emirati cities and energy infrastructure. The Saudis have belatedly accepted that they cannot prevent the strikes and that they undermine investor confidence in the kingdom. The Emiratis already came to that conclusion earlier this year.
Iran is a beneficiary of the truce. Tehran has a foothold on the Arabian Peninsula overlooking the strategic Bab el-Mandab Strait between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. The Houthis are fiercely independent and are not controlled by Iran. But they are much closer to Tehran and especially the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps than they were seven years ago at the outset of the Saudi intervention.
The cease-fire is fragile. It could collapse with little or no warning. There are several spoilers in the country including al-Qaida, independent warlords, and others who want the war to continue. The challenge of converting the truce to a political process is enormous. It may be wiser to concentrate on short steps, for example more flights from Sanaa for medical evacuations. The top priority is extend the cease-fire indefinitely – by Bruce Riedel
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2022/04/06/yemen-peace-at-last/
(* B P)
'If you return to fight, we shall return to our punishment': Yemenis react to UN-brokered truce
Under the truce deal, Sanaa airport should open for limited commercial flights and Hodeidah seaport for fuel ships.
“Hopefully this truce will hold, but if there are violations by the Saudi aggression, we will respond; ‘but if you return (to fight), we shall return (to Punishment)’,” said 63-year-old citizen Abdullah Saleh Al-Qatani, citing a holy Quran verse.
“If Saudi Arabia wants peace, Yemenis are peacemakers, and if they want war, we are fierce fighters and Riyadh should remember the state of Aramco after the latest Jeddah attack”, said Al-Qatani
“Saudi Arabia accepted peace now following the third operation to break the siege”, Al-Qatani told Al Mayadeen English. “If Mr. Abdul-Malek Al-Houthi launches three or four similar attacks, the kingdom will not only accept the truce, but will end the war”.
“The Saudis are our enemies since the last century, since the rule of Imam Yahya, King of Yemen”, Al-Qatani explained.
“It was clear, the Saudis will order its Yemeni mercenaries to violate the truce, and this has already happened”, said Al-Qatani.
(* B P)
What Yemen's first nationwide truce in 6 years means for the world's worst humanitarian crisis
CNN spoke to Peter Salisbury, senior Yemen analyst at International Crisis Group, about what the latest truce means for the war.
How different is this truce from previous ones?
The main difference with previous ceasefires is that it is time-bound — it is scheduled to last two months — and is not yet tied to a broader initiative beyond limited aims of letting fuel ships into Hodeidah port, reopening Sana'a airport to a small number of flights, and initiating talks over road access to the besieged city of Taiz.
What do you make of the timing, as it is so close to the Iran deal?
There is of course going to be a lot of speculation about ties to the Iran deal, but I am yet to see any clear-cut evidence of links between the two. In reality, shifts in the internal conflict and the cross-border war between the Houthis and the Saudis — which saw the Houthis attack the UAE with missiles and drones in January and February — seem to have played the bigger role.
Where does this leave the internationally recognized government?
Given the Gulf-led talks going on in Riyadh, I think this is a broader question. The Saudis, with Gulf support, appear to be working to recalibrate the makeup of the [President Abdu Rabu Mansour] Hadi government to include a much wider array of factions. That would dilute Hadi's role and influence in politics. The truce creates more space for this to happen and was allegedly pushed on the government by the Saudis. So, I suspect Hadi is not happy.
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/04/06/middleeast/mideast-summary-04-06-2022-intl/index.html
(A P)
Yemeni national resistance leader calls for teams to observe ceasefire
Yemen's national resistance commander called for committees to watch commitment to the UN-declared truce in the country.
The UN truce needs observation lest the Houthi group misuses it, Brigadier General Tariq Saleh said at a video conference with his senior officers, citing the negative history of the group.
"The truce should lead to a real stage of peace," he said.
His warnings come amid reports on repeated breaches of the ceasefire deal, with the government troops and Houthi group trading blames.
At the virtual meeting, Saleh briefed his officers on developments of the GCC-hosted Yemeni consultations in Riyadh, which the Houthi group refused to take part in.
By rejecting the GCC invitation, the Houthis "belittle the conditions seen by Yemen and Yemenis, who need political work and an end to attempts to impose will by force of arms," he said.
Saleh introduced to talks a "clear vision in harmony with [those of] all entities, and accepted even by those with whom we had disagreed in the past," he added, hoping that the truce would "achieve partial peace to ease people's suffering, and would put foundation for inclusive peace."
https://debriefer.net/en/news-29265.html
(* A K P)
Yemen rival factions trade blame over 260 ceasefire breaches
Yemen's warring factions on Tuesday accused one another of around 260 breaches of a UN-sponsored ceasefire that began on Saturday.
Military sources from Yemen's internationally-recognised government said on Tuesday said the Houthis violated the truce 130 times on Monday.
This included flashpoint areas such as Marib and Hodeida - where a key port is located - according to a government-aligned news agency.
The Houthis are accused of launching ground attacks and targeting government soldiers with heavy weapons and artillery, as well as digging trenches, building fortifications, setting up new supply routes, and reinforcing the frontlines.
The army accused the Houthis of 44 breaches in and around the southwestern Taiz province, 28 in Hajjah in the northwest, and 24 in Marib in northern Yemen.
It also claimed the Houthis have transported tanks and rocket launchers to the Marib frontlines, a city that has seen fierce fighting in recent months.
The rebels accused Yemen's authorities of breaching the ceasefire 137 times in just 24 hours, according to their news agency, which cited an unnamed security source.
They said government warplanes were spotted above Dhale Governorate and nearby areas.
The rebels also reported armed government reconnaissance aircraft flying over Yemen 34 times and "a raid" in Al-Waziyah, near Taiz. Other violations were also reported by the Houthis.
The [Hadi] Yemeni government considers Houthi breaches of the ceasefire as threatening the truce.
Yemen's Shura Council chief, Ahmed Obaid bin Dagher, met with the UK's Yemen envoy, Richard Oppenheim, on Tuesday and urged the UK and the international community to push the Houthis into complying with the ceasefire and resuming peace talks.
Despite the alleged violations, Issam Al-Mutawakel, a spokesperson for the rebels' oil company, said a third ship containing fuel had been given the go-ahead to proceed to Hodeida port after being checked by the United Nations.
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/yemen-rival-factions-trade-blame-over-260-ceasefire-breaches
and also https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20220406-yemen-army-monitored-130-violations-of-ceasefire-by-houthis/ (why omitting the blames against Hadi gov. troops?)
and
(A K pH)
Aggression, mercenaries commit 119 violations of truce in past 24 hours
He pointed out that the aggression's violations included 9 raids on the sites of the army and the popular committees in al-Fakher in Dhalea province and Mala'a area and al-Joba district in Marib province in addition to 40 flights of armed reconnaissance aircrafts in the airspace of Marib, Jawf, Taiz, Hajjah, Sa'ada and Lahj provinces.
The mercenaries created 3 new combat fortifications in eastern Balaq area of Marib province and in al-Barah area in Taiz province.
The official said that 15 artillery shelling operations were monitored on the sites of the army and the popular committees in the east of Balaq area and Serwah district in Marib.
He stated that 58 breaches were recorded with heavy shooting at citizens' houses and the sites of the army and popular committees in Marib, Taiz, Jawf, Sa'ad
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3182525.htm
and also https://en.ypagency.net/258525/
and
(A K pH)
Aggression forces commit 116 violations of Hodeida armistice
https://www.saba.ye/en/news3182512.htm
https://en.ypagency.net/258472/
and
(A K pS)
Yemen's Shia amass military reinforcements near Marib in preparation for big battle
Yemen's extremist Shia are amassing military equipment and hundreds of fighters and stationing them close to the frontlines of the army in Marib, the last symbol of the government and safe haven for millions of displaced Sunni civilians.
The Houthi Shia backed by Ara.bs of the de.se.rt, mainly the K.. of Sa.di Arabia, have been sending long convoys of 4 wheel pick-ups mounted with machine guns and fighters in addition to armored vehicles and tanks since the Arab Coalition announced a "truce agreement" with them on Saturday, sources confirmed today.
Sources confirm the reinforcements are continuing to come from Al-Arqoob camp in Khawlan and other military camps in the outskirts of Sana'a, as the militia now wage a low-intensity battle in breach of the declared "ceasefire."
https://www.alsahwa-yemen.net/en/p-55511
My comment: Connected with an absurd conspiracy theory, blaming the Saudis as main Houthi allies!
(* A P)
Special Envoy Hans Grundberg opening remarks to the press
This is the first nationwide Truce in Yemen for the past six years. This is both a precious and a precarious moment. For over seven years, Yemenis have suffered unimaginable losses and incredibly difficult living conditions. The conflict has marked every aspect of daily life, from markets, to roads, to schools, courts, hospitals, and homes. This Truce provides a small but important window to begin reversing this difficult reality. Building on the Truce agreement to support Yemenis in forging a path towards peace is the shared responsibility of the parties, the region, the United Nations and the international community. Much as the success of the next steps will depend on these actors, the agreement would not have been possible in the first place without them. I would like to take this opportunity to thank in particular the Permanent Members of the United Nations’ Security Council, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the Sultanate of Oman for their invaluable support.
This positive development is a reminder that the United Nations’ principles of diplomacy and mediation continue to be central to conflict management and conflict resolution. All nations and warring parties can and should work together to achieve peace. This requires political will.
This is a rare opportunity in a long and brutal war to make progress towards a political solution. This means the parties need to engage constructively, in good faith and without preconditions in a meaningful dialogue about ending the conflict. Ceasefires rarely hold if not supported by progress on the political track. And I believe Yemenis are united in their desire for the truce to be upheld, renewed and consolidated as a step towards peace.
Allow me now to provide you with a quick update about the status of the Truce so far, and then talk briefly about next steps.
Since the start of the truce, we have seen significant reduction of violence. However, there are reports of some hostile military activities, particularly around Marib, which are of concern. We are currently setting up coordination mechanism with the parties to maintain open channels of communication and help them prevent, de-escalate and manage incidents in support of their commitment to halt all offensive military operations and freeze their positions. We hope this will strengthen the Truce. But the United Nations isn’t monitoring. And the responsibility to uphold the Truce is squarely with the parties themselves.
The Government of Yemen released two fuel ships on the eve of the Truce, Friday, as a much-welcomed sign of goodwill. Two more fuel ships were released today. I hope we will see a regular entry of fuel into the ports in line with the agreement and the public commitments, to the benefit of millions of Yemenis. Preparations are underway for the first commercial flight to take off from Sana’a. My office is also preparing for a meeting that convenes the parties to agree on the opening of roads in Taiz and elsewhere.
Invitations have already been sent out to the parties and we look forward to their responses to nominate their teams and finalize a date.
Media has a responsibility as well. Now more than ever, accurate reporting that counters the spread of false information is key for the prospects of the Truce’s success. We will also rely on you and particularly on the Yemeni media community to show restraint and curb inflammatory rhetoric to foster an environment conducive to confidence building between the parties.
I would like to reiterate that this Truce is a step, an important one, but a fragile step, nonetheless. We need to make the best possible use of the window this Truce gives us to work towards ending the conflict. These two months will be a test of the parties’ commitment to reaching a peaceful resolution of the conflict that prioritizes the needs of the Yemeni people.
A peaceful, just and sustainable resolution of the conflict can never be reached on the battlefield. Dialogue is needed. Ending the war has been a consistent message during the dialogues and consultations my Office started in March with diverse Yemeni stakeholders. These consultations will resume soon and continue through the month of May.
I want to finish by stressing that it is still early days in the Truce. In any Truce, the early days are the most crucial and the most delicate. I hope the parties are steadfast in their commitment to make this work. We need to build confidence and trust, and this is not easy after more than seven years of conflict. The will of the warring parties, the support of the region and the international community will be crucial to uphold the Truce and to maintain the momentum and the possibility of moving towards a political process and finding also an inclusive, peaceful and sustainable end to the conflict.
https://osesgy.unmissions.org/special-envoy-hans-grundberg-opening-remarks-press
and media reports:
https://english.alaraby.co.uk/news/un-envoy-says-hes-concerned-over-yemen-ceasefire-violations
(A P)
Saudi strategists sceptical of Yemen truce [paywalled]
(B P)
Yemen truce: Will Saudi-coalition break pledges?
This truce, which the UN is already celebrating, could turn into a curse rather than a blessing for millions of Yemenis if key pledges are not upheld. For many, they'll be hoping they can finally get into Yemen to visit loved ones. If that turns out not to be the case, then it will be deeply heart-breaking, something which Yemenis have put up with far too much throughout this horrific conflict. (with film)
https://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2022/04/07/679868/Yemen-truce-Saudi-Arabia-UN
(* B P)
Film: Elisabeth Kendall on France24 (6 Apr 2022)
Will the Yemen truce last?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mzXddgjFcGs
Snippet: https://twitter.com/Dr_E_Kendall/status/1511738544750043139
(* B H P)
Civil Society Organizations’ Statement on Opening Roads in Taiz and Activating Mechanisms for the Success of the Truce in Yemen
We, civil society organizations signed below, welcome the announced truce agreement, under the auspices of the United Nations, between the parties to the conflict in Yemen. We stress the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Mr. Hans Grundberg, for taking practical steps to open roads in Taiz and other governorates as stipulated in the fourth article of the truce agreement.
We affirm that lifting the suffering of the besieged population in Taiz will give real value to the announced truce, reduce the burden on millions of civilians and bring us closer to stopping the war.
We also note that every day passes through the truce, civilian victims fall on rugged mountain roads. The horrifying scenes of vehicles and trucks falling apart with people and goods in the slopes of (Naqeel Dhamran, Haijat Al Abed) are unspeakable. They put the humanity advocated by the United Nations on the line, and any slowdown in putting an end to this tragedy is a real threat to the truce.
On the basis of our duty and keenness to ensure the success of the truce, to be the beginning of a sustainable peace, and to build a better future for the Yemeni people, we demand the following:
https://tamdeen-ye.org/en/media/496
(A H P)
IRC welcomes two month truce in Yemen, permanent ceasefire still needed
(A P)
Saudi Cabinet Welcomes UN Efforts in Yemen Truce
The Saudi Cabinet voiced its appreciation of the efforts exerted by United Nations and its Special Envoy Hans Grundberg to reach a truce in Yemen and a comprehensive cessation of military operations inside the war-torn nation and on its borders.
https://english.aawsat.com/home/article/3577951/saudi-cabinet-welcomes-un-efforts-yemen-truce
Fortsetzung / Sequel: cp2 – cp19
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-800b-yemen-war-mosaic-800b
Vorige / Previous:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose/jemenkrieg-mosaik-799-yemen-war-mosaic-799
Jemenkrieg-Mosaik 1-799 / Yemen War Mosaic 1-799:
https://www.freitag.de/autoren/dklose oder / or http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
Der saudische Luftkrieg im Bild / Saudi aerial war images:
(18 +, Nichts für Sensible!) / (18 +; Graphic!)
http://poorworld.net/YemenWar.htm
http://yemenwarcrimes.blogspot.de/
Liste aller Luftangriffe / and list of all air raids:
http://yemendataproject.org/data/
Untersuchung ausgewählter Luftangriffe durch Bellingcat / Bellingcat investigations of selected air raids:
Untersuchungen von Angriffen, hunderte von Filmen / Investigations of attacks, hundreds of films:
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