World

Houthi rebels warn Saleh as cracks widen

August 24, 2017
Ali Abdullah Saleh
Ali Abdullah Saleh

SANAA — Yemen's Houthi rebels on Wednesday warned former president Ali Abdullah Saleh, their main ally in the country's war, that he would "bear the consequences" after calling the Iran-backed rebels "militias".

Fears are now mounting that violence could break out in Sanaa around a rally scheduled for Thursday to mark 35 years since the founding of Saleh's General People's Congress party.

Cracks began to surface this week in the alliance between rebel chief Abdul Malik Al-Houthi and strongman Saleh, allied since 2014 against Yemen's government, with the two exchanging mutual accusations of back-stabbing in televised speeches.

A statement released by the Houthis early Wednesday hit back at Saleh, calling the ex-president a "traitor" after he dismissed the group as a "militia" in a speech on Sunday.

"We have been stabbed in the back and called a militia, which is treason in its purest form," read the statement.

"What he (Saleh) said crosses the red line... and he will have to bear the consequences of his words."

Tension has been rising for days in the Yemeni capital, which is jointly controlled by Saleh and the Houthis, and eyewitnesses say armed supporters of Saleh and Houthi have intensified their presence across the city.

Yemen's war, which pits the Saudi-backed government against the Saleh-Houthi alliance, has claimed thousands of lives since 2015 and pushed the country to the brink of famine.

In an address broadcast by almotamar.net, which is the General People's Congress’ official website, Saleh commented on signs that the Houthis object to the ceremony which the party will hold in Sanaa on Thursday.

“Sanaa is for everyone,” Saleh said on Sunday, adding that attempts to incite chaos in the city will fail.

The Houthis have controlled Sanaa since September 2014. The ceremony which the General People's Congress wants to hold on Thursday has made the Houthis suspicious and triggered them to call for opposing gatherings at Sanaa’s entrances on the same day in an attempt to prevent Saleh’s supporters from entering the city and attending the celebration.

Saleh called on his supporters not to be dragged into violence especially after pictures of him and banners installed in Al Sabeen Square where the ceremony will be held were torn apart on Saturday night.

According to photos published on social media networks by activists from the General People's Congress, billboards bearing Saleh’s pictures and party slogans were torn apart and damaged. The activists accused the Houthis of destroying the billboards.

During his address, Saleh also voiced surprise that the Houthis called on their supporters to gather in Sanaa’s entrances on Thursday – the same day as the ceremony’s – and asked: “Does this aim to prevent (supporters) from other governorates and districts from not attending the celebrations?”

In terms of his dispute with the Houthis, Saleh said that his party agreed with the Houthis on “real partnership” but the “revolutionary committee” affiliated with the Houthis, and which they agreed to dissolve, is the one in control of the political council, which is in charge of managing the areas controlled by the Houthis and Saleh’s loyalists. — Agencies


August 24, 2017
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