AL-MUKALLA: The chairman of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, has urged the Iran-backed Houthis to lay down their arms and become a political party, saying the internationally recognized government seeks permanent peace rather than another temporary truce as the militia continues drone and missile attacks on government-controlled areas.
Speaking to a gathering of editors from local media outlets, Al-Alimi said the PLC had unified previously divided military and security forces under a single command and vowed to respond to the latest Houthi escalation.
“The opportunity is still available to lay down arms, engage in political life, and compete through the ballot box on an equal footing with all other Yemenis,” Al-Alimi said, describing his appeal as a “final message” to the Houthis.
He said the PLC, established in April 2022, was more unified and stronger than at any point since its formation, having overcome differences that had hampered efforts to bring anti-Houthi military and security forces under a unified command.
“We have unified political, military, security and economic decision-making. Today, we can say that there are Yemeni armed forces operating under a single command center and a supreme commander of the armed forces. … These forces are ready to fulfill their role in defending Yemen.”
Al-Alimi also rejected the prospect of another extension of the UN-brokered truce that took effect in April 2022, saying the government would instead pursue a permanent settlement that restored state authority and places all weapons under its control.
“We are not in favor of a new truce or ceasefire. We are in favor of a lasting and sustainable peace where the state has a monopoly on the possession of weapons, there are no militias outside the state’s control, and there is a constitution that governs the people.”
He accused the Houthis of exploiting periods of reduced hostilities to regroup, replenish their weapons stockpiles, train fighters and prepare for renewed conflict.
“This does not mean that we are warmongers. On the contrary, we are advocates of peace. There is no contradiction between deterring the Houthi militias and pursuing peace. Our experience with the Houthis over the past 10 years has shown that, for them, a truce is merely an opportunity to rebuild their military capabilities before returning to war.”
Among the PLC’s other achievements, Al-Alimi cited efforts to curb smuggling networks linking the Houthis with militant groups such as Al-Qaeda across Yemen’s eastern desert, preserve state institutions, reduce infighting among anti-Houthi factions and implement economic reforms that have increased government revenues.
He said the rise in revenues could enable the government to cover public-sector salaries from domestic resources by the end of the year, without relying on Saudi budget support.
“Today, we have achieved a significant increase in revenues, and perhaps by the end of the year, we will be able to cover government employees’ salaries from our own domestic resources, without requiring budget support from our brothers in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.”
Since the outbreak of the war in Yemen, Saudi Arabia has backed the internationally recognized government, provided substantial financial support to the country’s economy and hosted millions of Yemenis who support families back home.
Al-Alimi expressed gratitude for the Kingdom’s support.
“In addition to political and economic support, the Kingdom hosts millions of Yemenis, thus demonstrating that it is not merely a donor or an ordinary ally. It is a partner in neighborliness, shared destiny, and a common future with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and its generous people.”
Al-Alimi also said foreign oil companies had approached the government seeking contracts linked to the planned resumption of oil exports from government-controlled areas for the first time since Houthi attacks halted them in late 2022.
He said repairing damage caused by Houthi attacks on oil terminals had cost the government $40 million, and that revenues from resumed exports would be used to pay public-sector employees in both government- and Houthi-controlled areas.
“This is a sovereign decision,” Al-Alimi said of plans to resume exports. “This wealth must be used to serve the Yemeni people by paying salaries and providing services. We are committed to paying the salaries of our employees in areas controlled by the militias. We are committed and ready to resume paying their salaries as soon as oil exports resume.”
Despite highlighting his government’s achievements, Al-Alimi acknowledged that the suffering of Yemenis inside and outside the country was “unprecedented” and urged the public to remain patient and support the government.
“We know the extent of the suffering. I receive many distressing reports about the plight of Yemenis both inside and outside the country. The suffering is unprecedented — unlike anything Yemenis have experienced in modern times.”
Hours after Al-Alimi appealed to the Houthis to disarm and join the political process, the group continued its attacks on government-controlled areas for a seventh consecutive day.
Three government soldiers were killed and several others wounded on Thursday when a Houthi drone struck a military base in the Al-Abr district of Hadramout province, local media and military officials said.
On Yemen’s western coast, the government’s National Resistance Forces said on Thursday that Coast Guard units destroyed three Houthi boats that were attempting to attack government-controlled areas along the Red Sea.
The latest escalation began last Thursday when the Houthis launched a barrage of drones and missiles at Yemeni army bases in Hadramout and Marib, killing 17 soldiers and wounding 30 others.
