The Houthis surrounded the presidential palace and also Hadi’s private home with Hadi forced to remain inside. The Houthis whose main base is in the northern Yemen province of Saada, has been battling the central government for some time in an attempt to gain more autonomy and influence on the central government. The Houthis are Shia and opponents insist they are supported by Iran. They were able to extend their area of control last fall and in September overran the capital Sanaa with little resistance from the security forces.
The rebels agreed to a UN-brokered peace deal. A new government was established in November that was to draft a new constitution and address the grievances of the Houthis. Disagreements continued. The Houthis rejected a draft that would see Yemen divided into six federal states. Separatist groups in the south also reject that division.The Houthis had abducted President Hadi’s chief of staff Ahmed bin Mubarak, who was in charge of drafting the constitution. Although Hadi agreed last Wednesday to some political concessions including amending the draft constitution on condition that Mubarak was released and Houthi rebels withdraw from Hadi’s residence, the Houthis did not accept his proposal.
The president’s resignation letter noted that a compromise could not be reached: “We found out that we are unable to achieve the goal, for which we bear a lot of pain and disappointment.” The rebels had urged Hadi to make a televised speech to calm unrest in Sanaa. Some reports suggest that Hadi’s resignation has not been accepted by the government. If his resignation is accepted the parliamentary speaker, Yahia al-Rai would become president.
The US and Saudi Arabia and other Gulf States have been strong supporters of Hadi and his government. Hadi has supported US drone strikes on Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (AQAP). The US and Gulf States are concerned that Hadi seems to have little support from the military. This may be because of the influence of former president Saleh. He may be paying the US and Gulf States back for forcing him to step down from the presidency. Hadi was vice-president under Saleh and took power after Saleh made a deal for immunity for any crimes committed during the Arab Spring uprisings, for himself and his cronies. Many protesters were killed during protests against his rule. Many think that he brokered a deal with the Houthis and that is why there was little resistance to their takeover of Sanaa. The situation is rather ironic, since during his reign Hadi had often fought against the Houthis.
The advance of the Houthis has boosted support for AQAP since the group has vowed to protect Sunnis against the Houthi advance. In some cases they are forming alliances with Sunni tribes to confront the Houthi advance. Although many see the Houthi actions as a coup in all but name, the group most likely wants to ensure only that there is a government that recognizes its interests. The Houthis are a minority in Yemen and probably realize that to seize the reigns of government themselves would simply result in a civil war that they could not win.
The US reacted to the Houthi actions by withdrawing more staff from Yemen. The embassy in Sanaa will remain open but with reduced staff. Pentagon spokesperson, Steve Warren said that two US ships, the USS Iwo Jima, and USSS Fr. McHenry were in the Red Sea ready to receive any US evacuees from Sanaa. State Department spokesperson, Jen Psaki, said that the US was concerned about reports of the fall of president Hadi and his government: “At this time, it is critical that all sides avoid violence. The future of Yemen should be determined by the Yemeni people in accordance with Yemen’s constitution … All Yemenis have both a right and responsibility to peacefully participate in this process. The United States remains firmly committed to supporting all Yemenis in this endeavor.”
Given the conditions in Yemen, Chuck Hagel US defense secretary said that no Guantanamo prisoners will be sent to Yemen. Even Hadi had been demanding the prisoners be repatriated for some time.
Saudi Arabia, has cut off financial support from the Yemeni government. The Houthis appear to be the new power brokers in Yemen and the influence of Iran in the country has increased. The US and the Gulf States must now decide if they are going to accept the new power relationships or start a civil war in Yemen and support those against the Houthis. AQAP will be quite pleased if that should happen.
