
A view of Sanaa in 2007. (Photo: Richard Messenger/flickr/cc)
Upheaval in Yemen Continues as Deadly Clashes Break Out in Capital
Civilans face continued instability, violence
A fragile ceasefire was reached but instability continues in Yemen's capital following deadly clashes between Shiite rebels and government forces.
BBC News reported:
On Monday morning, columns of black smoke rose from streets around the presidential palace and a military area south of it, as soldiers from the Presidential Guard and Houthi fighters fired heavy machine-guns, rocket-propelled grenades and artillery shells at each other's positions.
Information minister Nadia al-Saqqaf told reporters that the attack on the presidential palace constituted "an attempted coup."
CNN reports that the cause of the newest clashes was unclear:
Government officials characterize it as a power grab by the Houthis. Houthis say Yemen's military attacked people demanding that authorities lift road closures introduced as a security measure after the presidential chief of staff was abducted in Sanaa a few days ago.
Al Jazeera adds:
A deal signed in September between political parties and the Houthis called for the formation of a new unity government followed by the withdrawal of Houthi fighters from the capital. The fighters have remained in place.
The Houthis, who have launched attacks on al-Qaeda's Yemen branch, are viewed as Shia Iran's ally in its regional struggle for influence with Saudi Arabia.
The deputy health minister said that at least nine people were killed and scores were wounded in Monday's violence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said earlier this month that the conflicts gripping other areas of the world caused little global attention to be given to Yemen, where he said "utterly deplorable" acts of violence plagued stability and took a terrible toll on civilians.
Indeed, an attack in Sanaa that killed at least 37 people on the same day as the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris carried out by suspected Islamist militants was largely overshadowed.
As tweets on Monday from Yemenis indicate, the newest violence marks the continuation of disaster for civilians in the impoverished nation:
\u201cWelcome to hell101; #Yemen.\u201d— Farea Al-Muslimi (@Farea Al-Muslimi) 1421676308
\u201cYemen spring timeline:\n2011 Youth spring\n2012-2013 Hadi and partners' spring\n2014-2015 Houthi spring\n2015-???? AQAP Spring\u201d— Hafez Albukari (@Hafez Albukari) 1421655912
\u201cFriends living in Nahdayen area in Sana'a #Yemen say all hell broke loose. Pic via @hamzaalkamaly\u201d— Hisham Al-Omeisy \u0647\u0634\u0627\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0645\u064a\u0633\u064a (@Hisham Al-Omeisy \u0647\u0634\u0627\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0645\u064a\u0633\u064a) 1421672410
\u201cWar dealers in Yemen flourish with this deadly clashes.What Yemeni people need is a real war against all these dealers - a war against wars!\u201d— Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631 (@Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631) 1421670498
\u201cStomach-turning 2 c Yemen in neither peace, nor a civil war.It's a battle field for several proxy wars & innocent civilians hv 2 pay price.\u201d— Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631 (@Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631) 1421670253
In September, just ahead of the Houthis' seizure of the capital, President Obama lauded the U.S. military approach in Yemen targeting terrorists a success.
At the Washington, D.C.-based Middle East Institute in December, April Longley Alley wrote that "the country appears poised for yet another round of upheaval, possibly more transformative than the events of 2011."
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, The U.S. is on a fast track to authoritarianism like nothing I've ever seen. Meanwhile, corporate news outlets are utterly capitulating to Trump, twisting their coverage to avoid drawing his ire while lining up to stuff cash in his pockets. That's why I believe that Common Dreams is doing the best and most consequential reporting that we've ever done. Our small but mighty team is a progressive reporting powerhouse, covering the news every day that the corporate media never will. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. And to ignite change for the common good. Now here's the key piece that I want all our readers to understand: None of this would be possible without your financial support. That's not just some fundraising cliche. It's the absolute and literal truth. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. The final deadline for our crucial Summer Campaign fundraising drive is just days away, and we’re falling short of our must-hit goal. Will you donate now to help power the nonprofit, independent reporting of Common Dreams? Thank you for being a vital member of our community. Together, we can keep independent journalism alive when it’s needed most. - Craig Brown, Co-founder |
A fragile ceasefire was reached but instability continues in Yemen's capital following deadly clashes between Shiite rebels and government forces.
BBC News reported:
On Monday morning, columns of black smoke rose from streets around the presidential palace and a military area south of it, as soldiers from the Presidential Guard and Houthi fighters fired heavy machine-guns, rocket-propelled grenades and artillery shells at each other's positions.
Information minister Nadia al-Saqqaf told reporters that the attack on the presidential palace constituted "an attempted coup."
CNN reports that the cause of the newest clashes was unclear:
Government officials characterize it as a power grab by the Houthis. Houthis say Yemen's military attacked people demanding that authorities lift road closures introduced as a security measure after the presidential chief of staff was abducted in Sanaa a few days ago.
Al Jazeera adds:
A deal signed in September between political parties and the Houthis called for the formation of a new unity government followed by the withdrawal of Houthi fighters from the capital. The fighters have remained in place.
The Houthis, who have launched attacks on al-Qaeda's Yemen branch, are viewed as Shia Iran's ally in its regional struggle for influence with Saudi Arabia.
The deputy health minister said that at least nine people were killed and scores were wounded in Monday's violence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said earlier this month that the conflicts gripping other areas of the world caused little global attention to be given to Yemen, where he said "utterly deplorable" acts of violence plagued stability and took a terrible toll on civilians.
Indeed, an attack in Sanaa that killed at least 37 people on the same day as the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris carried out by suspected Islamist militants was largely overshadowed.
As tweets on Monday from Yemenis indicate, the newest violence marks the continuation of disaster for civilians in the impoverished nation:
\u201cWelcome to hell101; #Yemen.\u201d— Farea Al-Muslimi (@Farea Al-Muslimi) 1421676308
\u201cYemen spring timeline:\n2011 Youth spring\n2012-2013 Hadi and partners' spring\n2014-2015 Houthi spring\n2015-???? AQAP Spring\u201d— Hafez Albukari (@Hafez Albukari) 1421655912
\u201cFriends living in Nahdayen area in Sana'a #Yemen say all hell broke loose. Pic via @hamzaalkamaly\u201d— Hisham Al-Omeisy \u0647\u0634\u0627\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0645\u064a\u0633\u064a (@Hisham Al-Omeisy \u0647\u0634\u0627\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0645\u064a\u0633\u064a) 1421672410
\u201cWar dealers in Yemen flourish with this deadly clashes.What Yemeni people need is a real war against all these dealers - a war against wars!\u201d— Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631 (@Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631) 1421670498
\u201cStomach-turning 2 c Yemen in neither peace, nor a civil war.It's a battle field for several proxy wars & innocent civilians hv 2 pay price.\u201d— Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631 (@Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631) 1421670253
In September, just ahead of the Houthis' seizure of the capital, President Obama lauded the U.S. military approach in Yemen targeting terrorists a success.
At the Washington, D.C.-based Middle East Institute in December, April Longley Alley wrote that "the country appears poised for yet another round of upheaval, possibly more transformative than the events of 2011."
A fragile ceasefire was reached but instability continues in Yemen's capital following deadly clashes between Shiite rebels and government forces.
BBC News reported:
On Monday morning, columns of black smoke rose from streets around the presidential palace and a military area south of it, as soldiers from the Presidential Guard and Houthi fighters fired heavy machine-guns, rocket-propelled grenades and artillery shells at each other's positions.
Information minister Nadia al-Saqqaf told reporters that the attack on the presidential palace constituted "an attempted coup."
CNN reports that the cause of the newest clashes was unclear:
Government officials characterize it as a power grab by the Houthis. Houthis say Yemen's military attacked people demanding that authorities lift road closures introduced as a security measure after the presidential chief of staff was abducted in Sanaa a few days ago.
Al Jazeera adds:
A deal signed in September between political parties and the Houthis called for the formation of a new unity government followed by the withdrawal of Houthi fighters from the capital. The fighters have remained in place.
The Houthis, who have launched attacks on al-Qaeda's Yemen branch, are viewed as Shia Iran's ally in its regional struggle for influence with Saudi Arabia.
The deputy health minister said that at least nine people were killed and scores were wounded in Monday's violence.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein said earlier this month that the conflicts gripping other areas of the world caused little global attention to be given to Yemen, where he said "utterly deplorable" acts of violence plagued stability and took a terrible toll on civilians.
Indeed, an attack in Sanaa that killed at least 37 people on the same day as the attack on Charlie Hebdo in Paris carried out by suspected Islamist militants was largely overshadowed.
As tweets on Monday from Yemenis indicate, the newest violence marks the continuation of disaster for civilians in the impoverished nation:
\u201cWelcome to hell101; #Yemen.\u201d— Farea Al-Muslimi (@Farea Al-Muslimi) 1421676308
\u201cYemen spring timeline:\n2011 Youth spring\n2012-2013 Hadi and partners' spring\n2014-2015 Houthi spring\n2015-???? AQAP Spring\u201d— Hafez Albukari (@Hafez Albukari) 1421655912
\u201cFriends living in Nahdayen area in Sana'a #Yemen say all hell broke loose. Pic via @hamzaalkamaly\u201d— Hisham Al-Omeisy \u0647\u0634\u0627\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0645\u064a\u0633\u064a (@Hisham Al-Omeisy \u0647\u0634\u0627\u0645 \u0627\u0644\u0639\u0645\u064a\u0633\u064a) 1421672410
\u201cWar dealers in Yemen flourish with this deadly clashes.What Yemeni people need is a real war against all these dealers - a war against wars!\u201d— Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631 (@Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631) 1421670498
\u201cStomach-turning 2 c Yemen in neither peace, nor a civil war.It's a battle field for several proxy wars & innocent civilians hv 2 pay price.\u201d— Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631 (@Afrah Nasser \u0623\u0641\u0631\u0627\u062d \u0646\u0627\u0635\u0631) 1421670253
In September, just ahead of the Houthis' seizure of the capital, President Obama lauded the U.S. military approach in Yemen targeting terrorists a success.
At the Washington, D.C.-based Middle East Institute in December, April Longley Alley wrote that "the country appears poised for yet another round of upheaval, possibly more transformative than the events of 2011."