Armies of Liberation

Update: this is promising, more patience:

Saada, NewsYemen

Calmness has returned to Saada again after fears that the ceasefire pact between the al-Hothis and the government might be failed spread out last two days.

The Committee in charge of ending violence in Saada and bringing the pact into effect delayed a statement against “al-Houthi’s refusal to give arms and leave strongholds”. The statement, which was supposed to be announced on Wednesday, July 11, was delayed after discussions between the members of the committee which comprises members of some opposition parties.

Sources at the committee told NewsYemen it decided to be more patient.
The committee could not until now have a meeting with Abdul-Malik al-Houthi or Abdullah al-Rozaimat, who have led bloody confrontations with the army, but Yemei and Qatari mediators are trying to bring them to peace talks.
NewsYemen was informed that al-Houthi had sent a letter to president Ali Abdullah Saleh complaining the army’s ignorance to leave houses they occupied during war. Source said that president Saleh referred the letter to the committee, but ordered military leaders not to use houses as military centers.

On the other hand, military sources said that al-Houthi’s supporters refuse to leave some military sites they have occupied in north Saada and that they want the army to leave houses near main cities where they were leading battles against the army.

Sources said the army held the committee responsible for any recapturing by al-Houthi’s fellows in “vital places before making sure that al-Houthis really did give up rebellion”.
“Rebels should leave military sites they occupied and stop digging tunnels and buying arms”, the source said.

Fears of the army that al-Houthis re-control and resume attacks against armed forces and fears of al-Houthis to be hunted in revenge attacks by tribes seem to be the main reason behind the slow steps by both to enact the peace pact.

Yemen Times:

SA’ADA, July 8 — Tribal and media sources reveal a relative calm is predominates in Sa’ada; however, this calmness is associated with worry and fear among citizens that the clashes between Houthi loyalists and the army will commence in some districts.

Some observers believe such fear is attributed mainly to the non-evacuation of army from the villages and houses belonging to Houthis, together with the arrests targeting youth who supported Houthi made by the army in Razih district and some nearby areas, something considered as a breach of the agreement signed between Houthis and the state.

Similarly, a lot of residents’ houses are still seized by pro-army tribes and these tribal forces destroy these houses along with the content of attached farmland. Moreover, the government has not addressed the issue of those displaced by the conflict and this is considered a one-sided implementation of the ceasefire agreement that may lead to the failure of the agreement.

Informed sources hinted that Houthis demanded the authorities to notify them about the arms to be handed over and promised to hand over medium-sized weapons and military vehicles they seized in their battles with the army.

Such developments come after wide campaigns by government and pro-government media speaking of further conditions set by Houthis, in addition to the ten conditions included in the ceasefire agreement.

The sources mention Houthi leaders are adamant in demanding compliance with specified conditions and they want the mediation committee to force the authorities to implement them before handing over their arms, including immediate assessment of damages, compensation of those affected by the war as well as allocating monthly salaries to their affiliates killed since Sa’ada’s first war.

Media sources reveal some of these conditions were presented to the Qatari mediation during the war. In turn, the Qatari mediation presented them to the Yemeni government, which accepted some of them, however, it conditioned these demands not to be leaked to media outlets as the implementation of some demands will affect the state’s dignity and sovereignty as well as the feelings of soldiers who participated in the Sa’ada war.

The sources indicated that Abdulmalik Al-Houthi set certain conditions dictating the evacuation of the army and their prohibition from entering areas deserted by the Houthis, as well as compensating Houthi members via membership on committees. He also demanded uncovering the fate of those missing or abducted, delaying the hand-over of arms until these conditions are implemented.

However, the Qatari mediation rejected any condition set outside the ceasefire agreement and local sources speak of Houthi demands asking for non-interference of the Sa’ada governor in the committee’s work. Another demand by Houthis dictates that Naq’ah area should be left under the control of Houthis and their families as well as allocating 3,000 jobs for Houthi affiliates; however, such information was not confirmed by sources close to Houthis.

Over the last 20 days, the committee has been trying to implement the clauses of the ceasefire agreement’s, however, it has been unable so far to make Houthis hand over their medium-sized arms. Now, sources speak of another compromise with the Houthis regarding the second clause, stating the evacuation of Houthis from all areas currently seized by them and their dispersement to Al-Naqah area, located to the north of Sa’ada on the Yemeni Saudi border, where they will amass and hand over their arms.

Nowadays, the committee holds continuous meetings in an effort to reduce the tension and convince Houthi loyalists to respond and implement the agreement’s articles.

Despite the fact that the committee gave Houthi a three-day deadline starting as of Friday to descend the mountains and hand over their arms, the two warring parties exchanged fire during night hours in their sites located in Al-Mudawar Moutain and the nearby mountains, but with no causalities.

Tribal sources mentioned the Houthis and pro-government tribesmen are still exchanging fire in Ghamer district, wherein the clashes are non-stop since the announcement of the ceasefire.

Breaching the ceasefire has extended to Hajjah following the infiltration of some Houthi elements into the governorate by the start of the last week. The clashes between tribesmen and Houthis left behind several victims and official sources point out the residents have managed to dispel Houthis from three out of four areas that they [Houthis] seized earlier.

Political activists expressed their sorrow over the statement of the committee supervising the implementation of the Sa’ada ceasefire agreement.

“The statement is imbalanced and bears a number of threats in relation to resuming the war and this weakens the impartiality of the committee and affects the execution of its tasks,” said Al-Ishtiraki.net quoting the political activists.

Media reports

Government media sources published what they called a statement by the committee, giving three days as a deadline to the Houthis in order to hand over their arms and further holding them accountable for any potential breaching of the ceasefire agreement.

Meanwhile, the issues statement overlooked the achievements thus far, including the handing over of Houthi checkpoints located in six different districts, together with the opening roads. The statement also warned of consequences resulting from the Houthi persistence in breaching the agreement.

Abdulmalik Al-Houthi considered the statement issued by the committee to be biased and unjust as it overlooked the misgivings of the army and the human issue of the displaced Sa’ada locals. Al-Houthi however assured his commitment to the agreement, demanding a greater role to be played by the Joint Meeting Parties for the sake of achieving peace in Sa’ada and hinting to the announcement of the parties to form a national committee to addresses the consequences of the Sa’ada war.

In his statement published by Al-Ishtiraki.net, Al-Houthi asked the committee to be just and fair and deal with them in a brotherly spirit. He also asked them to prioritize the country’s stability and security over any other objectives.

Informed sources in Sa’ada pointed out the mediation committee received a letter from Abdulmalik Al-Houthi, asking them for an extended two-day deadline to descend the mountains and hand over their arms as well as ceasing control over Al-Naq’ah and Matarah. The committee, however, declined his demands.

Some sources have attributed the delay of implementing the agreement to the Houthi proposal demanding separate handing over of areas seized by Houthis starting with Bani Mauth and timed with the return of the displaced people to their houses and the disbursement of monetary compensation, while the committee insists on implementing the agreement according to its articles.

When the government accuses Houthis of attacking military personnel, Houthis accuse the government of continuing its media campaign against them as well as abducting many of their supporters in Qataber. In addition, UNICEF recently revealed the existence of anemia among children in some camps as well leg swelling, adding an urgency to the settling of this prolonged conflict.