Aftermath of the Houthi takeover in Yemen

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Background

The aftermath of the Houthi takeover in Yemen refers to developments following the Houthis' takeover of the Yemeni capital of Sana'a and dissolution of the government, which eventually led to a civil war and the Saudi Arabian-led intervention in Yemen.

After seizing the capital in September 2014, the Houthis (Ansar Allah) obtained the resignations of President Abdrabbuh Mansur Hadi, Prime Minister Khaled Bahah, and the cabinet in January 2015 and then moved to dissolve parliament and instate a Revolutionary Committee to govern Yemen on 6 February 2015.[1][2] However, despite their military successes and an alleged alliance with the former ruling General People's Congress,[3][4] the Houthis faced widespread domestic and international opposition to the coup and they assented to United Nations–led talks on a power-sharing deal.[5][6] At least one analyst went so far as to suggest the Houthis' declaration "fizzled" in the days after it was announced, although they have Ali Abdullah Saleh's political support.[7]

On 21 February 2015, one month after Houthi militants confined him to his residence in Sana'a, Hadi slipped out of the capital and traveled to Aden, the old capital of South Yemen. In a televised address from his hometown, he declared that the Houthi takeover was illegitimate and indicated he remained the constitutional president of Yemen.[8][9][10] Hadi's ex-ministers were released by the Houthis on 16 March as a "goodwill gesture".[11] On 21 March, Hadi officially proclaimed Aden to be the temporary capital of Yemen, until his pledged recapture of Sana'a.[12] Within days, however, a Houthi-led military campaign wrested much of southern Yemen from Hadi's loyalists, prompting Hadi to flee his presidential palace in Aden[13] and Saudi Arabia to launch airstrikes against Houthi positions throughout the country.[14]

  1. ^ Mona El-Naggar (2015). "Shifting Alliances Play Out Behind Closed Doors in Yemen". The New York Times. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  2. ^ "Yemen's Houthi rebels announce government takeover". Al Jazeera. 6 February 2015. Retrieved 6 February 2015.
  3. ^ "Eyeing return, Yemen's ousted Saleh aids Houthis". Al Arabiya. 23 October 2014. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
  4. ^ "Forces loyal to president seize parts of Yemen's economic hub". Reuters. 16 February 2015. Retrieved 16 February 2015.
  5. ^ "Yemen talks hit by walkouts over Houthi 'threats'". BBC News. 10 February 2015. Retrieved 10 February 2015.
  6. ^ Anna, Cara (15 February 2015). "UN Security Council OKs Resolution Against Yemen Rebels". ABC News. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  7. ^ Charles Schmit (2015). "Yemen's Ansar Allah: Causes and Effects of Its Pursuit of Power". American Institute of Yemeni Studies. Retrieved 15 February 2015.
  8. ^ "Yemen's Hadi flees house arrest, plans to withdraw resignation". CNN. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Yemen's Hadi says Houthis decisions unconstitutional". Al Jazeera. 21 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  10. ^ "Yemen's ousted president Hadi calls for Houthis to quit capital". The Star. 22 February 2015. Retrieved 21 February 2015.
  11. ^ "Yemen's Houthis free prime minister from house arrest". Al Jazeera. 16 March 2015. Retrieved 16 March 2015.
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference capital was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Johnson, Gregory (25 March 2015). "Is Yemen About To Turn into A Regional Battleground?". BuzzFeed. Retrieved 25 March 2015.
  14. ^ "Saudi Arabia launches military operation in Yemen - envoy". BBC News. 26 March 2015. Retrieved 25 March 2015.