Yemen will never return to its pre-war status quo, and the alleged good intentions of the Houthi militias can’t be relied upon, former Yemeni deputy foreign minister Mustapha Noman told Asharq Al-Awsat.
Noman said Houthis possess elements of power that enable them to impose their conditions.
The government failed to create a model accepted by the people, and the Presidential Leadership Council has not been able to give people hope after 120 days in power due to lack of improvement in services and security, said Noman, adding that the situation must be swiftly dealt with.
Noman is not the only official to criticize the Council, a group of independent Yemenis who do not execute any governmental work.
He told Asharq Al-Awsat that Yemenis should realize the international and regional communities are preoccupied with other issues.
The current truce can be used to start serious talks about consultations or negotiations, said Noman, warning that the human tragedy produced by the prolonged war will increase, and the country will go into further divide.
A Yemeni source expressed similar remarks, saying Yemen needs first to secure the areas where the government and the Council operate.
He indicated that security should be a priority on the path to building a safe model for all Yemenis.
The formation of the joint security and military committee was at the forefront of the achievements, said the source, adding that presenting its vision of integrating the armed and security forces under a unified national administration may take a few months.
The source said that the only guarantee to move forward in building the model is to secure law enforcement, including anti-corruption officials, reform leaders, businessmen, and investors.
However, the source preferred to stress that the changes made by the Leadership Council in the government and the judiciary are related to the comprehensive trends to improve government administration, expand the base of partnership in decision-making and implementation, and rationalize it with all local, regional, and international forces and partners.
Improving the cabinet’s management, sharing expertise with the coalition led by Saudi Arabia, and protecting the consensus among forces against the militias backed by the Iranian regime are outstanding achievements, said the source.
