Houthi Coup In Yemen

As of January 20^th, Houthi rebels have seized the Yemeni presidential palace in addition to the Yemeni government media offices. The Yemeni Minister of Information, Nadia Sakkaf, also states that the Prime Minister’s residence is under attack by the rebels. Houthi rebels demand talks with the president for changes in the constitution and national authority in exchange for the safe return of the Yemeni chief of staff, Ahmed Awad bin Mubarak, who was kidnapped Saturday. Thus far, it appears that the Yemeni president has lost control of the situation in Sana’a, merely a day after a ceasefire was signed between government forces and the Houthi rebels. At this time, the fate of President Abed Mansour Hadi is unknown.

The Yemeni government, formally an ally of the United States, has been beset by attacks from both Al-Qaeda and the Iranian-backed Shia Houthi rebels. Iran has given extensive support to the Houthi rebels. The current round of attacks, a continuation of the Houthi conquest of Sana’a back in September, were precipitated by the Houthis’ rejection of a draft constitution to divide Yemen into six regions. Houthis, which make up around 30% of Yemen’s population, wish for Yemen to be divided into two regions. Such a move would allow for the Houthis to consolidate their political power. It has been speculated that the Houthis are allied with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, who was deposed during the 2012 Arab Spring revolt.

A collapse of the current government could lead to a power vacuum that would be to the benefit of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Penisula (AQAP), which has attempted to position itself as a defender of the Sunnis against the Shia rebels. Such recognition could help AQAP push back against the appearance of having been upstaged by The Islamic State, particularly on the heels of AQ’s successful terror attacks in Paris. Yet at the same time, if the Houthis emerge victorious from the attempted coup, it would be to the vast benefit of Iran. Yemen is a critical outpost for Iran, who would likely use the Gulf nation as a base to threaten Saudi interests. Iran also wishes to extend their presence on the Red Sea in order to facilitate contact with Africa (as mentioned in the Center for Security Policy’s Iran in Africa report), and the transshipment of arms to the Middle East and Europe.