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Houthis Revoke Memberships of 39 Pro-Government Lawmakers

Houthi supporters attend a rally to mark the first anniversary of the killing of Saleh al-Sammad, who was the head of the Houthi movement’s Supreme Political Council, by an airstrike, in Sanaa, Yemen, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi
Houthi supporters attend a rally to mark the first anniversary of the killing of Saleh al-Sammad, who was the head of the Houthi movement’s Supreme Political Council, by an airstrike, in Sanaa, Yemen, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi
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Houthis Revoke Memberships of 39 Pro-Government Lawmakers

Houthi supporters attend a rally to mark the first anniversary of the killing of Saleh al-Sammad, who was the head of the Houthi movement’s Supreme Political Council, by an airstrike, in Sanaa, Yemen, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi
Houthi supporters attend a rally to mark the first anniversary of the killing of Saleh al-Sammad, who was the head of the Houthi movement’s Supreme Political Council, by an airstrike, in Sanaa, Yemen, April 19, 2019. REUTERS/Mohamed al-Sayaghi

Members of the illegitimate Houthi parliament in the Yemeni capital, Sanaa, revoked on Saturday the memberships of 39 lawmakers loyal to the internationally recognized government.

The move brings the total number of Yemeni parliamentarians ousted by the Iran-backed group under charges of “treason” and opposition to the Houthi-led coup to 83.

Independent MP Ahmed Saif Hashid said in a statement on Twitter that only 25 lawmakers voted for the revocations and that some abstained.

“Those who signed the revocations’ request do not exceed thirty members, but were rather 25 members only, most of whom are new members affiliated with the militias,” tweeted Hashid.

He criticized the vote saying it was against the constitution and conducted without quorum.

According to Hashid, the vote took place in an unconstitutional session in which Houthis took legal leverage to pass decisions that serve the insurgency’s Iran-inspired agenda.

The militias had asked MPs present at the session, most of whom were recently appointed in illegal by-elections, to drop membership from the representatives.

Iran-allied Houthis have been controlling Sanaa since it ousted the UN-backed government and seized power in late 2014.

In April, they revoked the memberships of 44 pro-government MPs under the pretext they are supporting the Saudi-led coalition involved in the country.

In March and February, a Houthi court sentenced to death 44 pro-government MPs, including the speaker of the newly formed pro-government parliament Sultan Al-Barakani and his deputies.

It is worth noting that the court sentencing was met with far-reaching international and regional condemnation.

Although Houthi decisions essentially lack any legal legitimacy, observers consider them to be an expression of the group’s tendency to destroy legitimate institutions and establish alternative institutions.

Other than trying to solidify Houthi rule, the decisions look to deepen hatred and accelerate the rate of "Houthification" of areas under the group’s control.

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HRW: Both Warring Parties in Sudan Acquired New Weapons

Women shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration on the opening day of Sudan ceasefire talks, in Geneva, on August 14, 2024. (AFP)
Women shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration on the opening day of Sudan ceasefire talks, in Geneva, on August 14, 2024. (AFP)
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HRW: Both Warring Parties in Sudan Acquired New Weapons

Women shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration on the opening day of Sudan ceasefire talks, in Geneva, on August 14, 2024. (AFP)
Women shout slogans as they take part in a demonstration on the opening day of Sudan ceasefire talks, in Geneva, on August 14, 2024. (AFP)

Both warring parties in Sudan, the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), have newly acquired modern foreign-made weapons and military equipment, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released on Monday.

It called on the UN Security Council to renew and expand the arms embargo and its restrictions on the Darfur region to all of Sudan and hold violators to account.

HRW said it analyzed 49 photos and videos, most apparently filmed by fighters from both sides, posted on the social media platforms Facebook, Telegram, TikTok, and X, showing weapons used or captured in the conflict.

The apparently new equipment includes armed drones, drone jammers, anti-tank guided missiles, truck-mounted multi-barrel rocket launchers, and mortar munitions, and are produced by companies registered in China, Iran, Russia and Serbia.

Although HRW did not specify how the warring parties acquired the new equipment, it noted that the Sudan conflict is one of the world’s worst humanitarian and human rights crises.

“The warring parties are committing atrocities with impunity, and the newly acquired weapons and equipment are likely to be used in the commission of further crimes,” it said.

HRW warned that the SAF and the RSF may use such weapons and equipment to continue to commit war crimes and other serious human rights violations not just in Darfur, but across the country.

It said the UN Security Council is expected to decide on September 11 whether to renew the Sudan sanctions regime, which prohibits the transfer of military equipment to the Darfur region.

The organization noted that since April 2023, the new conflict has affected most of Sudan’s states, but Security Council members have yet to take steps to expand the arms embargo to the whole country.

HRW said its findings demonstrate both the inadequacy of the current Darfur-only embargo and the grave risks posed by the acquisition of new weapons by the warring parties.

“A countrywide arms embargo would contribute to addressing these issues by facilitating the monitoring of transfers to Darfur and preventing the legal acquisition of weapons for use in other parts of Sudan,” it stressed.

The NGO said that the Sudanese government has opposed an expansion of the arms embargo and in recent months has lobbied members of the Security Council to end the sanctions regime and remove the Darfur embargo altogether.

“The prevalence of atrocities by the warring parties creates a real risk that weapons or equipment acquired by the parties would most likely be used to perpetuate serious violations of human rights and humanitarian law, harming civilians,” HRW wrote in its report.

It therefore called on the Security Council to publicly condemn individual governments that are violating the existing arms embargo on Darfur and take urgently needed measures to sanction individuals and entities that are violating the embargo.