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Int’l Organization: Saudi-Omani Mediation Reduced Political Violence in Yemen

Homes are destroyed after Houthi attacks on Yemen’s Taiz city. (Yemeni National Committee for Investigation)
Homes are destroyed after Houthi attacks on Yemen’s Taiz city. (Yemeni National Committee for Investigation)
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Int’l Organization: Saudi-Omani Mediation Reduced Political Violence in Yemen

Homes are destroyed after Houthi attacks on Yemen’s Taiz city. (Yemeni National Committee for Investigation)
Homes are destroyed after Houthi attacks on Yemen’s Taiz city. (Yemeni National Committee for Investigation)

Political violence in Yemen reached its lowest point in April, according to a global conflict monitoring organization. The organization attributed the decline to the diplomatic efforts of Saudi Arabia and Oman, as well as a gathering of mediators with the Houthi leadership in Sanaa.

According to a report prepared by the Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project (ACLED), the decrease in violence is anticipated to persist throughout May.

Last month, political violence in Yemen dropped by 30% compared to the month prior, reaching the lowest level since the beginning of the war.

This steep decrease coincided with a five-day Saudi and Omani delegation visit led by the Saudi Ambassador to Yemen to the capital city of Sanaa, amidst Oman-brokered peace negotiations.

Although no deal was announced following the visit, signs of detente materialized in the following days with the second-largest exchange of detainees between the conflict parties.

Ongoing negotiations center on a reopening of Yemen’s ports and airports, the payment of civil servants’ salaries in Houthi-controlled areas, direct talks between the Houthis and the internationally recognized Yemeni government, and a two-year political transition.

According to ACLED’s CAST predictions, the decline in violence associated with the peace negotiations is likely to continue in May 2023.

In other news, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has issued a warning regarding new floods in Yemen.

Heavy rainfall is expected to hit nine provinces during the upcoming week, according to the organization.

The expected floods are especially likely to affect over 5,000 people in Wadi Zabid, over 2,000 in Siham, and in Mour, over 1,000 in Tuban, and in the north part of Wadi Harad, over 800 in Rimah, and in Banna, and about 700 in Sordud.

Avoiding exposure to the hazard and implementation of contingency plans was strongly advised by the FAO.

Most of the flood fields in Yemen have been affected by heavy rains, resulting in significant damage, including the collapse of a major dam that caused the death of four individuals in Al Mahwit, according to a weather forecast early warning bulletin.

The downpour also flooded streets and homes in other areas, particularly in Ibb and large parts of the highlands, leaving behind a trail of destruction.

According to the forecast, eastern parts of Yemen are expected to experience consecutive dry days, while heavy rainfall is predicted for the western regions. As a result, dust storms are likely to occur, impacting both humans and livestock and posing serious health challenges.

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Arab World

Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
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Houthi Charges of Espionage: A Tool to Intimidate, Control the Population

Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)
Houthis demonstrate in the center of the capital Sanaa against American and British strikes on their positions. (AP)

The Houthi militia has recently released several individuals it had abducted for celebrating Yemen’s September Revolution. However, over the past few days, it has detained hundreds of residents in its stronghold of Saada, accusing them of espionage.

The campaign coincides with the airing of alleged confessions from a purported spy cell and the abduction of a former employee of the US Embassy in Yemen.

Local sources in Saada province, approximately 242 kilometers north of Sanaa, report that the Houthis have launched a widespread campaign of arrests targeting civilians. These individuals have been taken from their homes, workplaces, and businesses under allegations of collaborating with Western nations and Israel. Families of those detained have been warned to remain silent and refrain from discussing the arrests with the media or on social media platforms.

According to the sources, more than 300 individuals, including dozens of women, have been abducted across various districts in Saada. The arrests have also targeted relatives and associates of Othman Mujalli, a member of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, who hails from the region.

The sources suggest that the Houthis are detaining women as hostages to pressure their relatives, who may either be out of the militia’s reach or living outside Houthi-controlled areas. They also appear to be using the women to coerce confessions from male relatives. Last month, the Houthis accused Hamid Mujalli, Othman Mujalli’s brother, of engaging in espionage for Arab and Western nations for nearly two decades.

In a separate incident, the Houthis abducted a former employee of the US Embassy in Sanaa from his home on Monday without providing any explanation for their actions.

Release of Detainees

The Houthis recently released Sheikh Amin Rajeh, a tribal leader from Ibb province, after detaining him for four months. Several other individuals were also freed, none of whom had been formally charged during their detention. Rajeh, a member of the General People’s Congress Party, was one of many political activists, students, workers, and public employees abducted in September for celebrating Yemen’s September 26, 1962, revolution.

One of the released individuals, a shop owner, told Asharq Al-Awsat that he was unaware of the reason for his detention. He had been abducted in November, two months after the Houthis initiated a crackdown on those commemorating the revolution.

Alleged Spy Cell

Houthi-controlled media recently broadcast confessions from what they claimed was a newly uncovered spy cell. The group linked the cell to its broader narrative of “promised conquest and sacred jihad” against the West and Israel.

According to Houthi security officials, the alleged spy cell was working to compile a “target database,” monitor sites linked to missile forces and drones, and track specific military and security locations. They also claimed the cell had been observing the residences and movements of Houthi leaders.

In response, the Houthis issued warnings to residents, forbidding them from discussing or sharing information about militia-controlled sites, facilities, or the whereabouts of their leaders.

The Houthis’ actions reflect mounting concerns over potential strikes targeting their senior leadership, similar to the recent attacks on Hezbollah figures in Lebanon. Those fears come amid ongoing tensions with Israel, the United States, and the United Kingdom, following the Houthis’ assaults on international shipping lanes in the Red Sea and missile attacks on Israel.