Yemen’s Shi’ite Houthi movement provided strong indications today that some 20 months of war since Saudi Arabia’s invasion could be coming to an end, declaring themselves ready to stop all fighting and join a unity government, as the UN Security Council plan calls for.
Key Houthi political figure Mohammed al-Bakhaiti says that not only are the Houthis on board with the plan, and by extension on board with the ceasefire announced by the US yesterday, but that they had been told the Saudi government is also prepared for such a deal.
The Saudis haven’t publicly spoken on that, but previous reports have also indicated them being at least somewhat in favor of the UN plan. This stands in stark contrast to the Saudi-backed Hadi government in Yemen, which has repeatedly rejected the plan out of hand.
The UN deal would create a unity government leading to free elections, and while it would allow Hadi to retain a top position, he would only be a figurehead with no real power. Hadi appears to prefer continuing the war rather than reducing his own influence, but with the war being fought mostly by the Saudis, and not his troops, that may not be his decision to make.
As usual, years of war and unknown thousands of deaths later, it’s back to square one.