Al-Alimi: Peace in Yemen requires deterring the Houthis, not appeasing them
His Excellency Dr. Rashad Muhammad al-Alimi, Chairman of the Presidential Leadership Council in Yemen, affirmed the legitimate government's unwavering position that the path to sustainable peace in the country does not lie in appeasing the Houthi group, but rather in building a genuine deterrent force that compels them to embrace peace and accept comprehensive political solutions. These statements came within the context of ongoing regional and international efforts to end the conflict, which has entered its tenth year, and underscored the Council's vision for the requirements of the next phase.
Background of the conflict and its complexities
To understand the depth of these statements, it is necessary to return to the roots of the Yemeni crisis. Since the Iranian-backed Houthi group seized control of the capital, Sana'a, in September 2014, the political landscape has been turned upside down. This development led to a Saudi-led military intervention in March 2015 to support the internationally recognized government, plunging the country into a spiral of civil war and proxy conflicts, and resulting in one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Over the years, numerous peace initiatives and ceasefire negotiations have faltered due to deep mistrust between the parties and conflicting regional agendas.
The importance of deterrence from a governmental perspective
The Presidential Leadership Council, formed in April 2022 to unify anti-Houthi forces, believes that any leniency or unilateral concessions have been interpreted by the Houthis as weakness, prompting them to escalate military operations and become more intransigent politically. Therefore, the deterrence emphasized by Al-Alimi extends beyond the military sphere to include economic and diplomatic pressure, the activation of international sanctions, and the political isolation of the group to expose its practices to the international community. The aim of this strategy is to shift the balance of power on the ground and create a more balanced negotiating environment that prevents either side from imposing its will by force.
Potential impacts on the peace process
This stance has a direct impact on the mediation efforts led by the United Nations and the Sultanate of Oman. While mediators seek to build trust and de-escalate tensions, Al-Alimi's statements set a precondition for progress: the necessity of international guarantees and genuine pressure on the Houthis to uphold their commitments. Regionally, this position aligns with the view of many coalition countries, which believe that a peaceful solution will only be possible when the Houthi group realizes that the military option is no longer viable. Internationally, this perspective comes at a time of growing concern over Houthi attacks on international shipping in the Red Sea, which could prompt major powers to adopt a firmer stance toward the group—a move that might serve the deterrence strategy advocated by the Yemeni government.
