Various Factions Vie for Control of Yemen
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iStock/Thinkstock(NEW YORK) — There were indications Tuesday that Yemen is closer to splitting into a country run by numerous factions as the head of the Houthi rebel group in control of the capital city of Sanaa denounced a separatist movement in the south that wants to act autonomously, The New York Times reports.
With the resignation last week of Yemen’s president and cabinet, it is unclear who’s exactly in charge as Washington ponders how to continue counterterrorism operations against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, which is based in the country.
The majority party of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh still runs parliament and is seeking approval from the Houthis to appoint a transitional president.
Houthi leader Abdel Malik al-Houthi suggested in a televised speech there is room for compromise with supporters of the old government, citing the release of a presidential aide who was kidnapped during the midst of a violent uprising by rebel forces against Yemen’s military.
However, al-Houthi, who opposes relations with the U.S., also warned that the southern separatist movement, Heraq, is the biggest threat to unification. Heraq, meanwhile, has seized control of territories and government buildings in the southern region as it tries to assert its independence.
Caught between a rock and a hard place, the U.S. nonetheless is trying to conduct operations against AQAP, launching a CIA drone strike Monday that killed three suspected terrorists.
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