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In a new report, Stacey Philbrick Yadav argues southern fighting is evidence that Yemen’s civil war is actually a series of mini-wars. This fracturing is not considered in formal diplomatic processes, which is a major cause of the diplomatic standstill.
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Fighting subsided when Southern Resistance Forces returned to government control two military bases they had seized last week. This was a result of mediation by the Saudi-led coalition, as the southern separatists and the Aden-based government are both allies of the coalition.
According to a FEWS NET report, the Riyal continues to depreciate despite the initial boost when Saudi Arabia injected $2 billion into the Central Bank. The report also shows that even without increased disruptions the worst-affected Yemeni households may soon exhaust their coping capacities, and move to the Catastrophe phase of food insecurity.
This month the UN Security Council is expected to hear a departing speech from Special Envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed and a humanitarian update from Mark Lowcock, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs. In addition, the Council will likely renew the 2140 Yemen sanctions regime and the mandate of the supporting Panel of Experts.
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AQAP’s durability in Yemen is frequently explained by tribal alliances. Tribes are thought to provide safe havens, fighters, and general support. Project on Middle East Democracy released a report by Nadwa al-Dawsari that shows tribes are not inherently roadblocks to anti-terror efforts, and could be used to effectively undermine terrorist organizations in Yemen.
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The Saudi-led coalition said it has “one goal and shared vision for Yemen,” after fighting between Emirati-backed southern separatists and the Saudi-backed Yemeni government exposed a potential rift in the coalition. Saudi Arabia and the UAE have urged fighters in Aden to focus on the Houthis instead of one another.
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Fighting between the government and the Houthis escalated on the eastern front of Ta’iz.
According to the Houthis, an airstrike by the Saudi-led coalition hit a police building in San’a, killing eight people and wounding 58. Witnesses say many of the victims were civilians.
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The leader of the Southern Transitional Council, Aidarus al-Zubaidi, is visiting the UAE in a presumed attempt to subdue conflict in Aden.
General Nasser al-Dhaybani, a senior Yemeni commander, claims the government is winning the war and coming closer to San’a every day. His words contradict the common perception of a persistent stalemate and the relatively static nature of the San’a frontline.