The Houthis are exploiting tensions in the south to undermine stability in Yemen
Amid Yemen's complex political and military landscape, the Houthi group continues its strategy of exploiting any tensions or emergencies in the southern provinces to undermine efforts toward stability and peace. These actions come at a time when regional and international efforts are intensifying to push for a comprehensive political settlement to end the years-long conflict.
Crisis exploitation strategy
Observers of Yemeni affairs believe that the Houthis are exploiting internal disputes or protests in some liberated southern governorates, such as Aden, Shabwa, and Hadramawt, as a pretext for launching counter-campaigns, both in the media and military spheres. These campaigns aim to portray the legitimate government and the Presidential Leadership Council as incapable of governing the areas under their control, thus providing the Houthis with propaganda material to justify their rejection of international obligations and their continued military escalation.
Background of the conflict and peace efforts
The roots of this situation lie in the 2014 Houthi coup, which plunged the country into a devastating war and created one of the world's worst humanitarian crises. Despite the formation of the Presidential Leadership Council in April 2022, intended to unify the anti-Houthi front and improve services in liberated areas, significant economic and security challenges remain. The Houthis exploit these weaknesses to obstruct the UN-brokered roadmap, sponsored by Saudi Arabia and Oman, which aims for a permanent ceasefire.
Regional and international influences
The danger posed by this Houthi escalation and exploitation of events in southern Yemen is not limited to Yemen itself, but extends to regional and international security. The continued instability hinders the security of international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and the Bab al-Mandab Strait, a vital area for global trade. Furthermore, the failure of stabilization efforts prolongs the suffering of the Yemeni people and complicates crucial humanitarian issues such as prisoner exchanges, salary payments, and the reopening of roads—all pressing matters for millions of Yemenis.
In conclusion, analysts point out that the way to thwart this Houthi strategy lies in strengthening internal cohesion among the components of legitimacy in the south, and working hard to improve the living and service conditions of citizens, in order to pull the rug out from under any attempts to exploit their suffering politically and militarily.
