More displaced persons as Sa’ada’s war intensifies [Archives:2007/1110/Front Page]
By: Mohammed bin Sallam
SA'ADA, Dec. 12 ) In a message forwarded earlier this week to the Join Meeting Parties (JMP) and civil society organizations, Abdul-Malik Al-Houthi called to release an initiative preventing the outbreak of Sa'ada's fifth war, pointing at ongoing preparations to launch the war.
Addressing the JMP and civil society organizations, Al-Houthi said “presenting an initiative at this very point is a religious, national and humanitarian responsibility,” adding, “It is incorrect to wait until the war comes to destroy property and claim the lives of thousands of your brothers. The war will bring grave calamity, deepening the wounds of this country.”
Al-Houthi mentioned in his forward distributed to media “a lot of [provocation], such as murders, detainments, demolishing houses, evacuating women and children, which is being done nowadays by the government. This is in addition to military mobilization and reinforcements.”
The message also indicated a lot of preparations usually done before the state initiates a new war, highlighting that military officers and soldiers are talking about the impending war and the aforementioned preparations are to launch a new attack in the governorate.
Al-Houthi went on to say that indications of this war entails an awakening of all disunited people and a motion to all dignitaries to serve to secure the country. He said that he had forwarded the message to remind people and to prevent bloodshed, as well as to save the country from instability and insecurity. But, he noted, “we are compelled to defend ourselves to confront any new attack.”
The JMP leaders discussed the Al-Houthi's forward during their meeting. They decided to continue negotiating about it until suitable stance and response are reached, according to a source in the JMP. A series of assassination incidents occurred during the last few months between the Al-Houthi group and military forces in Sa'ada. The incidents resulted in killing and injuring from the two sides. Such events threaten and foretell that Sa'ada's war will resume, if the Qatari mediation delegation does not reach a final settlement for suspended problems since the last ceasefire of the fourth war.
In turn, parliamentarian Yahya Badr Adin Al-Houthi accused the Yemeni government of conspiracy aiming at eradicating the Zaidi sect as well as facilitating Al-Wahabiah task to control situations.
He also revealed that this big campaign extend from Al-Sharafain, district west of Hajja to east of Al-Jawf governorate, where it failed, with government forces sustaining heavy defeats.
Yahya Al-Houthi also accused the government of receiving outside support to continue fighting against the Houthis in Sa'ada, hinting that there is a plan to eradicate Zaidis from Yemen.
Al-Houthi's accusations against the government continue where he explains that the government killed thousands of soldiers throughout Sa'ada war to get rid of them. A number of Al-Houthi loyalists sworn that they witnessed mountain-paths full of killed soldiers.
He ensured that the Zaidi community woke up and became aware of the problem, hinting that there is a possibility to wage a Zaidi revolution, sending the existing regime home, likening the situation with Amawi State subverted by Zaidi revolutions.
Yahya further indicated that the government does not abide by the constitution and law. The government politics resulted in generating a gang controlling the country using fire and iron, setting fires, inciting feuds and confiscating rights and freedoms, in his opinion.
Local sources informed that an armed group of Al-Houthi's loyalists launched an attack against one of the military sites in Gufah area. The attacked resulted in injuring some soldiers. Other group attacked Haidan Hospital, attempting to release one of their loyalists, who was receiving medications there. However, the group could not do so because the government forces exist there intensively.
The same sources said that most of the governorate parts are calm for more than two days after the governorate experienced a series of military operations over the last weeks.
Recently, in some areas located to the north of Sa'ada city a number of people started to leave their areas, heading to the Saudi border. Thousands of displaced escaped during the last war. They are still living away from their areas. They did not return due to the gross damage, affecting their homes and farms.
According to high sources, Sana'a News Press said earlier this week that the president, who visited Germany last week for medical tests, met secretly with the political leader of the Al-Houthi group, Yahya Badr Adin Al-Houthi, who has been in Germany since he left his home country. The source also said the arrangements and communications were run last few weeks with the Qatari government and other regional parts aiming at bringing the president Ali Abdullah Saleh and Yahya Al-Houthi together. They also aim at promptly relieve tension and to cease an impending fifth war in Sa'ada.
The success of efforts and negotiations depends on concessions from both-sides. Government concessions consist of leaving an area with tribal influence of Houthis in many districts in Sa'ada. This is in return for giving guarantees ensuring that Houthis do not go with temptations to resume war, handing over heavy weapons while keeping light and medium-sized weapons for self-defense, according to the same sources. Houthis are to decide whether to live in Doha, capital city of Qatar or not. However, this choice may be excluded from the new agreements, especially when the authority is willing to grant them tribal and religious influence over two districts as yet unidentified.
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