Yemen.. From guardianship to sovereignty: Shifts in power balance

Sana’a – Saba:
The current stage through which the Yemeni people are passing calls for decisive positions on a number of issues, foremost among them rejecting the continuation of a state of neither peace nor war, and working to establish the equation of “siege for siege” as a legitimate right , a religious and humanitarian necessity, in order to end the catastrophic suffering endured by the Yemeni people.

The priorities of action at the present and future stages are centered on developing the means of strength and reinforcing the foundations of resilience in confronting the enemy of the Yemeni people, Saudi Arabia, which for decades has used its financial resources to influence the Yemeni reality, contributing to the weakening of its internal structure and obstructing its stability and cohesion.

This intervention has taken various forms, including buying loyalties and subduing tribes, sidelining national , social figures, stripping political parties and organizations of their substance , roles, as well as fueling divisions , fragmentation and provoking sources of discord within Yemeni society. Collectively, these practices have sought to weaken national decision-making and keep Yemen in a state of exhaustion and division, enabling tighter external control and guardianship and hindering the establishment of an independent Yemeni state capable of making its own decisions.

It is regrettable that Saudi Arabia is a neighboring country to Yemen, sharing a border extending approximately 1,458 kilometers. This geographical proximity has naturally led to intertwined interests, ties, and relations between the two countries. This geographic and social reality should have served as a basis for building balanced relations founded on equality and mutual respect while taking into account the shared interests of both peoples.

However, what happened was the opposite. The shared border and interconnected relations became a means of intervention in Yemeni affairs and contributing to Yemen’s weakening and the fragmentation of its social fabric by fueling divisions and creating pockets of chaos, in addition to exploiting tribal ties to inflame disputes and support certain tribal factions against others.

Over the years, these policies have entrenched a highly complex and divided social reality and weakened the foundations of internal cohesion, creating an environment more susceptible to external intervention and the imposition of influence, and enabling Saudi Arabia to exercise control over Yemeni decision-making.

In this context, the transformation brought about by the Quranic March, led by Sayyed Abdul-Malik Badr al-Din al-Houthi, stands out. It has contributed to exposing Saudi conspiracies against Yemen and laying the general foundations for liberation from external guardianship and the restoration of national decision-making.

Today, we are witnessing this national direction through liberation, independence, and national sovereignty, rejecting Saudi schemes, and adopting a new approach to dealing with Saudi Arabia based on the principle of force for force and siege for siege.

This shift has changed the nature of the existing equation and prompted Saudi officials to reassess how to deal with Yemen, particularly as Yemeni ballistic missiles and drones have reached vital sites inside Saudi territory, including airports, ports, and industrial facilities. This has reflected a shift in the confrontation to a different level in terms of the ability to exert influence and achieve deterrence.

J.A