SNA (Birmingham) — The Houthi movement in Yemen is pressuring the internationally-recognized government in Aden to fulfill promises which were tentatively agreed in ceasefire negotiations. Laying in the background, however, are the movement’s long-standing demands for economic and social justice which will provide equitable treatment to those who live in the mountainous northern areas of the nation.

Although the humanitarian conditions in the country have significantly improved in recent months, sporadic violence continues and the political situation remains unstable.

Last month, the Houthis blocked access to their territories to more than a thousand government-affiliated gas tanker trucks, attempting to compel the Aden regime to meet their demands.

In response, the Aden regime’s Minister of Information Muammar al-Eryani urged the United Nations, which is playing a key role in facilitating negotiations, to “put real pressure on the militia to lift all restrictions it imposes on the flow of goods and the movement of goods between the governorates.”

Of deeper concern is that, while large-scale military action has ceased since the ceasefire has been in effect, a number of smaller violent incidents continue to occur.

One recent incident came when Saudi Arabia, the main ally of the Aden regime, shelled and fired weapons into the northern governorate of Saada, controlled by the Houthis, killing two people. It should be noted, however, that this report came only from Houthi-controlled television news and was not admitted by the Saudi side.

There have been other reports of incidents of political violence not directly linked to the conduct of the civil war. For example, Human Rights Watch recently accused the Houthi rebels of “disappearing” seventeen Bahais, a religious minority, in the capital city of Sanaa.

The overall peace process, influenced by the broader rapprochement between Saudi Arabia and Iran–which backed opposite sides in the civil war–is continuing. Unfortunately, negotiations have proceeded slowly, and the Houthis in particular have expressed impatience with the lack of steady progress.

The Houthi Vision for Yemen

Since the release of their political manifesto in 2019 titled National Vision for the Modern Yemeni State, the Houthi movement has articulated keen interest in moving beyond the conflict. The manifesto showcases how they would deal with Yemen’s humanitarian crisis and lays out a goal of creating a peaceful and inclusive nation in which each of the warring parties can have their voices heard.

According to the vision which they have laid out, the Houthis support a democratic system and are not making a claim for senior leadership of the future Yemeni government. In their own words, their goal is to create “a modern, democratic, stable, and unified Yemeni state.”

The Houthi leaders furthermore claim that they will use their influence to reduce inflation, combat corruption, and transform Yemen into one the world’s top one hundred economies.

More immediately, the Houthi movement is demanding payment of the salaries of all public employees currently living in Houthi-controlled territories out of the revenues derived from government-owned oil fields.

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