Al Jazeera reports several ministers, along with top intelligence officials of the Hadi government, arrived in Aden after forces loyal to Hadi recaptured Aden from the Houthis. The photo accompanying the Al Jazeera articles shows forces in Aden said to be loyal to Hadi. It is a loyalty of convenience. The flag these loyalists are flying is not that of Yemen but of the Republic of South Yemen. These are members of a Southern Movement militia who are separatists. They will use the situation to promote their own cause and not that of Hadi, whose proposal to divide Yemen into six federal regions they reject. Al Jazeera notes: On Wednesday, Popular Resistance fighters – a southern militia that has been the mainstay of support for Hadi – recaptured the provincial government headquarters in the Mualla district opposite Aden’s main commercial port, Ali al-Ahmadi, a militia spokesman, told the AFP news agency.They also advanced in Aden’s Crater district, where a presidential palace is located, he said.
It is not clear whether reporters or analysts are stupid or deliberately fail to notice the irony that Aden is being liberated by separatists, the same group that Hadi repressed and whose government the group often clashed with. What is happening is a process of possible division of Yemen into a north controlled by Houthi and Saleh loyalists and Hadi in collaboration with the Southern Movement ruling the South. Such an alliance would be no stranger than that of Saleh loyalists with the Houthis. As the appended photo shows, the Houthis are still in parts of Aden and have set sections of the refinery on fire.
One of the arriving officials said: “[Exiled President] Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi delegated this group to return to Aden to work to prepare the security situation and ensure stability ahead of a revival of the institutions of state in Aden,” .Hadi tried this before and was driven out. Hadi is being cautious this time and is not returning himself as yet. He will stay safe and sound in Ryadh, Saudi Arabia. Forces loyal to Hadi retook the airport recently and much of the nearby diplomatic district. However retreating rebels pounded the district with rocket fire. Rockets also set fire to an oil refinery.
Exiled vice-president said on Facebook that his government would try to restore life to Aden: “The government announces the liberation of the province of Aden on the first day of Eid al-Fitr which falls on July 17, We will work to restore life in Aden and all the liberated cities, to restore water and electricity.” The Houthis claim that there are still clashes in several parts of Aden.
The offensive in Aden comes after a ceasefire declared by the UN failed to take effect. Saudi Arabia continued its bombing campaign just hours after the ceasefire was to come into force. UN special envoy Ismail Ahmed claimed he had assurances that both sides would agree to the “humanitarian pause” of about a week to last until the end of Ramadan. Saudi Arabian officials , nevertheless, said that they had never agreed to the ceasefire. While the UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed disappointment at the failure of the ceasefire, he did not suggest that Saudi Arabia should be punished or sanctioned. Saudi Arabia is one of the good guys so there is little international condemnation, even of the rhetorical type that involves no punishment.
The UN has declared a level-3 humanitarian emergency in Yemen, the highest possible. The UN estimates since late March more than 3,200 people have been killed since the Saudi-led airstrikes began against the Houthis who have taken over much of the west of Yemen. More than 21 million people, over 80 percent of the population are said to need aid. 13 million face food shortages, and access to water is difficult for 9.4 million people. The need for a ceasefire is urgent but apparently it is more important for Saudi Arabia to continue the battle. As the appended video from Sanaa the capital shows, there must still be some gas available there.
