Over the past month, the Houthis, a Shiite Muslim political and militant group operating in Yemen, have staged protest after protest demanding the reinstatement of fuel subsidies and clamouring for a new government.
At least eight Houthi demonstrators were killed and 67 wounded in clashes with government forces, prompting further outraged protests that recently sent thousands pouring into the streets of the capital, Sanaa.
In an opinion article in the pan-Arab daily Al Hayat, the columnist Abdullah Nasser Al Otaibi wrote that the crisis in Yemen is escalating.
“All the signs indicate that the solutions that are on the negotiations table at present are nothing more than sedatives that couldn’t quash the crisis at the root, but rather – and herein lies the greatest danger – prolong it and postpone a full explosion or a comprehensive solution,” he wrote.
Yemenis hoping for radical solutions await the effect of internal rivalries influenced by political, religious and tribal affiliations, and they monitor the ebb and flow of international powers that are trying to foster their own interests in terms of Yemen, he added.
“Officials inside Yemen – as well as those handling the Yemeni cause – have committed, and continue to commit, catastrophic mistakes that have turned what was once known as ‘Happy Yemen’ into a place of misery, hardship, poverty and economic deficiency.”
He went on to give his opinions on the present government’s shortcomings, which can be narrowed down to two main areas. One is their failure to deal reasonably with the remnants of the former regime of ousted president Ali Abdullah Saleh, including integrating the competent elements among them into the political process and excluding unfit elements from the social, economic and political scenes.
“Interim president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi should have swayed the Houthis into taking part in the political process as a civil party operating under a non-religious, non-tribal political system,” he observed.
The Yemeni government’s other oversight, according to Mr Al Otaibi, is that it should have dedicated its media efforts to working alongside economic scholars to develop a clear vision for the country’s economy. This put an emphasis on ending subsidies on oil products that have been weighing the economy down.
“The government should have issued public messages explaining the future benefits citizens, including Houthis, stand to reap in the long run as a result of arresting subsidies,” he noted.
Looking into the same issue in the London-based daily Asharq Al Awsat, the columnist Tariq Al Homayed cited European sources saying that the Houthis have the capability to occupy Sanaa within a matter of hours.
“This is what I heard from a senior European official, and it was later confirmed by a Gulf source who admitted that the Houthis are hesitant about invading Sanaa as they fear the reaction of the international community,” he said.
Last Saturday, the 10 countries sponsoring the GCC initiative for Yemen accused the Houthis of causing instability in the country and warned against foreign attempts to foster anarchy, in a reference to Iran’s support to the insurgents.
“What sort of pre-emptive measures has the GCC – mainly Saudi Arabia – taken in case Houthis were to take over Sanaa? Is there an operations centre dedicated to Yemen? If so, what plans does it have?” asked Al Homayed.
He suggested that the absence of such planning would be catastrophic.
Europeans are confused about the nature of the Houthi-Iranian relationship and its objectives. Explaining this relationship to them and to the international community at large is of paramount importance in anticipation of the likely collapse of the government in Sanaa, the writer said.
“Iran considers Yemen an important part of the chess board it uses in its power match against Saudi,” he explained.
On the other hand, Gulf governments should realise that Sanaa’s possible fall doesn’t necessarily signal the fall of the whole of Yemen.
“Alternative plans should be put in place to put a stop to the Houthi advance and contain Iran’s dominance,” Mr Al Homayed concluded.
rmakarem@thenational.ae