SANA, Yemen — A day after taking power, Shiite rebels in Yemen found themselves increasingly under pressure Saturday as thousands protested against their rule and a group of nearby countries denounced their “coup.”
The leader of the Houthi rebels, Abdel-Malak al-Houthi, gave an impassioned speech defending dissolving Yemen’s parliament Friday as the only response to a power “vacuum” — one his group created by besieging the country’s president, who later resigned.
The ongoing unrest in the Arab world’s poorest country could benefit Yemen’s al-Qaeda branch, considered by America as the world’s most dangerous wing of the terrorism group. While the Houthis oppose al-Qaeda, they also are hostile to the U.S. Critics say Shiite power Iran backs their territorial gains — something the rebels deny.
The six Arab countries of the Gulf Cooperation Council, led by Sunni-ruled Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, issued a statement Saturday carried by the official Saudi Press Agency calling for the U.N. Security Council to “put an end to this coup.”
“The Cooperation Council sees Houthi coup as an escalation that cannot be accepted under any circumstances,” the council said.
The council serves as a regional counterbalance to Iran, which the council previously has accused of meddling in their own countries’ internal affairs. Saudi Arabia, which long has provided an economic lifeline to Yemen, slashed aid after the Houthis’ insurrection and shows no sign of restoring it.
In a televised address, al-Houthi repeatedly said his opponents wanted to advance “conspiracies” to cause chaos in a country in turmoil since the Houthis began their offensive in September. On Friday, the rebels dissolved parliament and formally announced they seized power in this country of 24 million people.
“The constitutional declaration … came to end the vacuum,” al-Houthi said. “It’s all in the interest of the people, and for the people, and for facing these threats and conspiracies against the people.”
In January, the rebels raided the presidential palace and besieged the residence of then-President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi. Within days Hadi and his Cabinet resigned. They remain under Houthi house arrest.
Hadi was elected as a president in 2012 after a popular revolt toppled President Ali Abdullah Saleh.
Saleh waged a six-year war against Houthis that ended in a cease-fire in 2010. It appeared that the old foes have joined forces during the Houthis’ advance from their northern Yemen stronghold.
Yemen’s Shiite rebels have dissolved parliament and declared a transitional government in the majority Sunni nation. The move raises doubts over whether the U.S.-led counter-terrorism campaign against Yemen’s branch of the al-Qaeda can continue.
Q: Who are the Houthis?
A: They are a Shiite tribal movement rooted in northern Yemen along the nation’s border with Saudi Arabia. Their name honors their first military commander, Hussein al-Houthi, who launched an anti-government rebellion after the U.S. invasion of Iraq with the aim of toppling Yemen’s pro-Western government. He was killed in 2004. Houthis have consolidated their military hold over Yemen’s northern provinces and, in September 2014, moved south to seize control of Sanaa and other major cities.
Q: How do the Houthis intend to govern?
A: Without support from the two-thirds of the population that is Sunni Muslim, governing will be difficult and dangerous, running the risk of provoking civil war. Questions remain whether the Houthis will be able to attract significant participation from other factions, particularly Sunnis from the previous government, to give their power grab an air of legitimacy. Ousted President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi remains under house arrest and incommunicado.
Q: Does the Houthi coup harm the U.S. fight against al-Qaeda?
A: Al-Qaeda’s Yemen branch has posed the greatest danger to the West in recent years. The Houthis are not natural allies. Their members belong to the Zaydi sect of Shiite Islam, while al-Qaeda’s Yemeni affiliate is staunchly Sunni. The Houthis also are hostile to U.S. military intervention in the Middle East. Continued Yemeni support for U.S. airstrikes is in jeopardy.
Q&A The situation in Yemen
