A struggle for power, not inter-religious conflict, is growing in Yemen

By Vestnik Kavkaza

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, the spiritual leader of Iran, called the military campaign by the international coalition headed by Saudi Arabia in Yemen ‘genocide.’ He says that the activities of Riyadh can be considered by international courts. The coalition and the USA accuse Iran of interfering in the Yemeni conflict. Recently Tehran sent two military ships to the Gulf of Aden and the Bab-el-Mandeb Strait on combat alert for “providing security of Iranian coastal routes.” But the countries of the coalition which were blocking the region didn’t allow them to enter the territorial waters of Yemen.

ITAR-TASS reports that at the moment the Air Forces and Navy of the coalition are attacking Aden frequently – it is the southern capital of Yemen, where the armed conflict between supporters of President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi and militants continue. 198 people were killed in recent days in the south of the country, due to bombings and battles. 2 thousand people are injured. In the east of Yemen, the army units which shifted to the side of the Houthis have established control over the city of Atak, the administrative center of Shabwah province, where oil fields are situated. The Balhaf marine terminal is situated 160 km from Atak. There is a major LMG plant there.

Abdel Bari Baker, the official representative in Russia of the Yemeni Association 'For Changes', says that to evaluate what is happening on Yemeni territory at the moment we need to understand that it's not an interreligious conflict as some people say. It's a struggle for power. “The main aim of this is to divide Yemen into three parts: the north, the south and the central part. The south supports the coalition. The majority of the north part supports the actions of the coalition. Why did the Yemeni army decide to support the Houthis? Who is in charge of the Yemeni army? Who gives commands and receives orders? The Yemeni army receives orders from people who have nothing to do with the government authorities. It means that they receive and act according to orders from illegitimate people and illegal.”

Abdel Bari Baker says that “there are specific armed units which terrorize people. We cannot call it an army. Now these units are under reorganization. The army is not like it has been before. It's in the north part of the country and separate people command the army. As for the army in the south of the country, it has always been professional. After the well-known events in 1994, this professional army demonstrated itself. As for the current situation, we think that Abd Rabbuh Manṣūr Hādī is the legitimate president.”