Yemen crisis

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The Yemen crisis is a mixture of internal sectarian and political conflicts that have been taking place in Yemen since the beginning of the 21st century . The country is currently affected by two uprisings: that of the Salafist - jihadist al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula and the affiliated groups since 2001 and the Houthi conflict triggered by the Houthi in 2004 .

The Yemeni crisis intensified as the 2011–2012 Yemeni Revolution, which, as part of the Arab Spring, removed the dictatorial regime of Ali Abdullah Salih from power. After Salih resigned in early 2012 as part of an agreement brokered between the Yemeni government and opposition groups , the new government led by the previous Vice President Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi sought to unite the turbulent political landscape of the country and the threats posed by militants such as al-Qaeda and the to bring insurgent Houthis under control for years. In 2014, the Houthi captured the capital, Sana'a, forcing Hadi to form a unity government with other groups while the capital was exposed to severe terrorist operations by al-Qaeda. After negotiations with other groups, including the Sunni al-Islah, failed, the rebels continued to exert heavy pressure on the weakened government, so that the presidential palace and the private residence of the president remained the target of attacks. Hadi, together with his ministers, announced his resignation in January 2015, which was rejected by the Yemeni parliament. The following month, the Houthis declared their control of the government, dissolved parliament and set up an interim revolutionary committee under the leadership of Mohammed Ali al-Houthi , cousin of Houthi leader Abdul-Malik al-Huthi .

The South Yemen uprising ended in March 2015 and culminated in the Yemeni civil war . The military intervention in Yemen began on March 25, 2015 . It is headed by Saudi Arabia , the other participating states are Egypt , Bahrain , Jordan , Qatar , Kuwait , Morocco , Senegal , Sudan and the United Arab Emirates . The first phase of the military intervention was called Operation Decisive Storm , which was replaced by Operation Restoring Hope .

Insurrections in Yemen

Salafist Jihadist Surveys

Al-Qaeda has existed in Yemen since 1990. In 2000, it carried out its first attack against the United States Armed Forces with an attack on the US destroyer USS Cole , in which 17 members of the Navy were killed. This attack, like the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001 , finally moved the Yemeni government to launch an offensive against the jihadists.

The Saudi Arabian branch of al-Qaeda was expelled from the kingdom in 2003 and found refuge in Yemen. In January 2009, the Saudi and Yemeni branches of al-Qaeda merged to form al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP).

At the same time, the United States began carrying out regular drone air strikes against al-Qaeda. In 2014, 124 jihadists and four civilians were killed in 19 incursions with the approval of the New America Foundation .

AQAP is also fighting the Houthis.

Houthi uprising

The Houthis are Shiite Zaidis who have resisted the armed forces of the Yemeni state since 2004, but also against al-Qaeda on the Arabian Peninsula. Active in the north-west of the country, they denounced the marginalization of the Zaidite minority and the inequality and underdevelopment of the region. They are supported by Iran and also take a critical stance on Yemen's alliance with Saudi Arabia and the United States. In 2011 they took part in the Yemeni revolution. In February 2014 it was announced that Yemen would be a federal state . The Houthis then launched a major offensive in September to expand their sphere of influence and gain some political power.

Uprising of the separatists of the south

The Movement of the South (also called al-Hirak or the Separatist Movement of the South ) was founded in 2007, despite the unification of Yemen , as a result of the Yemeni civil war that brought a victory for the north. This movement became popular in many areas of the north, leading to an increase in sometimes violent tensions and clashes with government forces.

Arabic spring

The series of protests known as the Arab Spring began with the Tunisian Revolution and soon spread to Yemen. Yemen was a poor country with a government widely viewed as corrupt, with large numbers of arms in private hands. By 2011, the country had faced challenges from fighters affiliated with al-Qaeda , as well as separatists from the south and Zaidi Shiite rebels in the north. Yemen had only unified in 1990; the deep divisions between North and South Yemen still exist.

history

Protests against Saleh

Protesters in Sanaa on April 4, 2011, during the opening stages of the Yemeni revolution .

The popular protests broke out in early 2011 and were led by both secular and Islamic opposition groups. Long-standing rebel groups such as the Houthis and the Movement of the South also participated in the protests. Saleh responded with violent repression, the country almost fell apart in civil war after various sections of the army broke with the government and joined the protesters in March.

Saleh was nearly killed (likely in an attempted assassination) when a bomb exploded in a mosque where he and other high government officials were praying on June 3, 2011. Although his condition initially appeared poor, Saleh recovered and returned to office on September 23 after several months of medical treatment. During his absence, Vice President Hadi took over the business of government. As interim president, Hadi met with the opposition and showed a willingness to open up to political reforms. However, he rejected the idea of ​​removing Saleh against his will.

Brokered Agreement

The Gulf Cooperation Council put no pressure on Saleh to negotiate an end to the insurrection by giving up power. Weeks after his return from Saudi Arabia, Saleh finally declared his willingness to resign on November 23, 2011, in exchange for immunity. As part of the deal, the opposition agreed to have Hadi run in the 2012 presidential election without an opposition candidate.

Siege of Dammaj

Meanwhile, the Houthi rebels besieged a Salafist-ruled city in the north of the country in the Muhafazah province of Sa'da , Dammaj . The fighting intensified in November and December 2011. The Yemeni armed forces were unable to restore order due to the crisis in the rest of the country.

Election of Hadi (2012)

Abed Rabbo Mansur Hadi , the second President of Yemen .

Although Hadi ran without opposition and was elected president, his election on February 24, 2012 was widely viewed as the conclusion of the revolution that had taken place a year earlier. Hadi, a man from the South, enjoyed support mainly in the former South Yemen, allayed rumors of the South's secession, although the South Movement, like the Houthis, boycotted the election. Hadi did not give the rebels any seats in his cabinet.

Dammajer clashes continue

The conflict in Dammaj flared up again in April 2012 when fighting broke out between members of the Houthi tribe and Salafist students. Both sides accused each other of breaking a ceasefire agreement.

Hadi on the rise

The negotiations for national reconciliation were carried out with the participation of many separatist elements as well as the Houthis.

Nine years after the death of Hussein Badreddin al-Houthi , the Yemeni government handed over the remains of the Houthi patriarch to his family. He was buried in northern Yemen in June 2013 in the presence of a representative of the Hadi government.

Hadi visited the United States, a fundamentally important overseas ally, in July 2013. The United States also lifted its ban on the transfer of prisoners from its prison camp at Guantanamo Bay Naval Base , near Cuba , in Yemen. Nevertheless, in 2013 Saudi Arabia deported around 300,000 to 400,000 Yemeni migrant workers to their country of origin, which caused an influx of poor landless Yemenis into northern Yemen.

New Clashes (2013)

The conflict between Houthis and Salafists in Mohafazah Sa'da flared up again in October and November 2013. Government authorities in Sa'dah accused Houthi fighters of attacking a Salafist mosque in Dammaj in an attempt to drive the Sunnis out, while the Houthis accused the Salafists of using the religious institution as a camp for foreign Sunni combatants. The government tried to intervene and stop the fighters.

Confessional clashes in al-Jauf governorate continued throughout the year. In Mohafazah Dhamar clashes between Houthis and Salafists also occurred towards the end of the year.

The Shiite-Sunni conflict is spreading (2014)

Clashes in Dammaj spread to January in the province 'Amrān out. The Houthis won a victory in Saada when the Yemeni government brokered an agreement that Salafist fighters and their families would be evacuated to the neighboring province of Al-Hudaida . The Houthis reportedly since then prevented government forces from operating fully across the country despite a signed agreement.

Fighting in ʿAmrān province intensified during the year when clashes between Houthis and supporters of the Islamic party Al-Islah led the Houthis to seize power across the province. The conflict spread into the Mohafazah Sanaa by July .

Houthis occupy Sanaa

In mid-2014, the Houthis demanded concessions to resolve their long-term uprising against the Yemeni state. The uprising intensified dramatically when the Houthi fighters advanced to Sanaa, the capital, and in September 2014 actually took control of the city from the Yemeni military for a few days. General Ali Mohsen al-Ahmer's forces surrendered to the Houthis after a short battle. Former President Ali Abdullah Salih has been widely suspected of supporting the Houthis behind the scenes and helping them on their way to power. Prime Minister Mohammed Basindawa resigned on September 21, 2014 as part of an agreement to end the deadlock.

Attempt to form the unity government in 2014

The Houthis and the government agreed on September 21, 2014 to form a unity government within one month. However, the Houthis rejected the original choice of replacement as Prime Minister for Hadi, Ahmad Awad bin Mubarak . The oil minister, Chalid Bahah , was appointed instead, with the consent of the armed group. The Houthis and the General People's Congress , chaired by Salih , abruptly announced on November 8, 2014 that they would not take part in the National Unity Government because it was not acceptable to them. The boycott resulted in sanctions against Salih and senior leaders by the United Nations Security Council and the United States Treasury Department .

Takeover of the Houthis (2015)

The Houthis increased their pressure on the weakened government of Hadi, stormed the presidential palace and strategic military facilities in Sanaa and shelled the president's private residence on January 20, 2015. The following day, they took control of Hadi's home and posted guards outside the house to put him under house arrest . Hadi, Prime Minister Chaled Bahah and the Cabinet resigned the following day on the grounds that they could not continue to work under the conditions imposed by the Houthis. The rebel group welcomed Hadi's resignation but kept him under house arrest. Four mohafazah in the south declared that they would disregard all orders from Sanaa. Parliament was due to meet on January 25, 2015 to discuss the possibility of accepting or rejecting Hadi’s resignation under the Yemeni Constitution, but the session was not possible as the Houthis took control of the parliament building. The United Nations intervened to seek a negotiated solution to what many in Yemen believed was a Houthi coup.

The UN negotiations were fruitless and the Houthis' ultimatum to the political groups in Yemen to find a solution was not followed. On February 6, 2015, the Houthis declared themselves under the complete control of the Yemeni government, dissolved parliament and set up a revolutionary committee led by Mohammed Ali al-Houthi to temporarily lead the state. The announcement sparked protests in Sanaa and other cities, particularly in the south.

Development after the coup

Reactions to the Houthi takeover were largely negative, with the Arab League , the Gulf Cooperation Council, the United Nations and the United States refusing to recognize the Constitutional Declaration and rejecting Houthi rule. As the majority of the political parties criticized the coup, Jamal Benomar , the UN envoy for Yemen, announced on February 8, 2015 that national negotiations on the future of Yemen would be resumed. Benomar confirmed that the Houthis had agreed to participate in negotiations. The United Nations Secretary General , Ban Ki-moon , called for Hadis reinstatement as president.

Web links

Individual evidence

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  14. ^ France 24: Le chaos au Yémen porte un coup à lutte des États-Unis contre Al-Qaïda ( Memento of January 24, 2015 in the Internet Archive )
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