Weeks of fighting over the north Yemen city of Maarib, the last government stronghold in North Yemen, was supposedly all but over. The military claimed to have reversed the momentum not so long ago, and were looking to move against the Houthis.
Instead, the Houthis have counterattacked, seizing Mount Hilan, overlooking Maarib, and are now making a substantial advance on the city. The UN is calling for an end, warning of humanitarian catastrophe.
Yemen, particularly in the north, just lurches from one humanitarian catastrophe to another, though it seems to be mentioned chiefly when it is the rebels on the advance, and not the Saudi-backed government.
Reports from the area say that dozens of casualties were reported on both sides in Maarib, which is roughly in line with what the fighting has done regularly since it began. There is no sign of major changes, despite the mountain falling so far, and a high death toll rarely indicates anything but the status quo in Yemen.
Well spotted!
Media remembers humanitarian issues only when Houthis advance.
The other thing never asked is — what does the population want. They are part of Notth, their clan is a Northern clan. We have a serious difficulty in covering Yemen as naming conventions are arbitrary. North Yemen is actually the only Yemen. And it consists of a number of clans, of which Houthis are one group. Maarib clansmen are for certain fighting alongside Houthis and other clans to liberate Maarib. The tragedy is — Saudi sponsored government in Maarib is also the same clan, forced to be on the other side. Saudis cannot hope to keep it — unless they bring more mercenaries, calling them Al-Qaeda (AQAP).
In all fairness Saudi Arabia is facing a tough situation. Once upon a time US supported one Yemen , and Hadi was an interim president. But then, it became impossible for Houthis to accept him as he is a Southerner and does not represent North. Both North and South now wanted to go back to be separate state.
US basically turned back on legality of unified Yemen and brought in UAE fortified by US private contractors to essentially take over South by supporting Southern secessionists.
Saudi Arabia then had to fight Southern secessionists aided by UAE and US contractors focusing on the city of Aden. The illusion that Hadi is still the president by having a tenuous hold on one Southern city — Aden, and one Northern city — Maareb is about to crack. If Maareb is lost, and Aden is challenged by South —one Yemen country legitimacy is gone. Possession is 9/10 of the law, and Saudis will have no influence, Why are Saudis so keen one one Yemen? Because whoever controls one Yemen — controls Bab Al-Mandeb Straits. Saudis hoped to be the patrons of one Yemen.
Besides Saudis, Sudan and Egypt have been hoping for the same, What is at stake? Should Yemen split, snd South remain under UAE/US control — control if the Straits belongs to US.
Egypt, Sudan and Saudi Arabia are constantly under US pressure for concessions. Should US decide to sanction them in any grounds — it can easily block their entire Asian trade.
Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Egypt need plan B.
Sudan’s response was to sign military deal with Russia to have navy base in Port Sudan to serve also nuclear powered submarines.
To add to the criticality of the Strsits. Major cables go under Red Sea, and over land in Egypt go to Mediterranean and Europe. On the other end, through Straits onto Gulf of Oman and into Persian Gulf. In short , the entire Middle East communications. It is widely believed that in Egypt the entire traffic of multiple cable traffic is intercepted by US At present Chinese cable is being laud through Pakistan and will go under Indian Ocean water towards East.Africa. And from there one will go through the Straits into Red Sea and inward to Egypt, Mediterranean and Europe. Clearly, the competing cable would mean some loss of control over communications.
The Straits Bab Al-Mandeb — the Gates of Sorrows — are shaling to be the world’s first real hotspot and the first real challenge that US has experienced in its objective to control a choke point. We may be looking at a potential for a real conflict.
“The UN is calling for an end, warning of humanitarian catastrophe.”
Really???? How about they call for an end to the BLOCKADE!!!
The UN couldn’t care a damn about a humanitarian crisis, what they really care about is their Yemeni satraps in Marib.
Why do we love the Saudis, and hate the Yemenis?
Seems to me we’re backing the wrong side, as usual.
Backing either side is wrong. Anywhere.
Twitter should consider cancelling Khamenei’s twitter rights? He’s definitely not a friend of the ‘international community’ and the ‘rules-based international order.”
https://twitter.com/khamenei_ir/status/1373737092254203905