Yemen crisis

Houthis meet members of late president’s GPC

Sanaa: A political leader of Yemen’s Houthi rebels has met members of late Ali Abdullah Saleh’s party, days after the killing of the ousted president by the group that controls the capital, Sanaa, reports Al Jazeera. On Wednesday, Houthi-controlled media on Wednesday showed photos of a meeting between Houthi political chief Saleh al-Sammad and Yahya al-Rai, assistant secretary-general of the General People’s Congress (GPC) and a speaker of parliament. The meeting in Sanaa was also attended by Hisham Sharaf, the Houthi minister of foreign affairs. Later in the day, al-Sammad also met other members of Saleh’s GPC, in a move perceived to be a Houthi attempt to restore an alliance with the party. The Houthis, who protested against Saleh during the country’s 2011 uprisings, formed a shaky alliance with the long-time leader and his party against the government of the internationally recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in 2014.

This cooperation broke down completely in recent weeks as Houthi fighters and Saleh loyalists clashed. Two days before he was killed on December 4, Saleh publicly stated his willingness to engage in talks with Saudi Arabia, which has been leading a military coalition against the Iran-aligned Houthis since March 2015.

Last month, Saudi Arabia imposed a total blockade on the impoverished country after a rebel missile was shot down near the kingdom’s capital, Riyadh, exacerbating an already grave humanitarian crisis.

Amid mounting international pressure, Saudi Arabia began to allow some aid to enter the country in the last week of November.

Despite this easing, the situation in Yemen remains severe, according to the UN.

Splits within the GPC had emerged when Saleh formed an alliance with the Houthis; many party members then shifted their loyalty and support in line with Hadi.

GPC Secretary-General Aref Zouka was killed shortly after Saleh and was buried on Saturday in his hometown.

With Zouka gone, the GPC’s future remains uncertain, with only a handful of leadership figures remaining.

Yemen crisis

Houthis meet members of late presidents GPC

Sanaa: A political leader of Yemens Houthi rebels has met members of late Ali Abdullah Salehs party, days after the killing of the ousted president by the group that controls the capital, Sanaa, reports Al Jazeera. On Wednesday, Houthi-controlled media on Wednesday showed photos of a meeting between Houthi political chief Saleh al-Sammad and Yahya al-Rai, assistant secretary-general of the General Peoples Congress (GPC) and a speaker of parliament. The meeting in Sanaa was also attended by Hisham Sharaf, the Houthi minister of foreign affairs. Later in the day, al-Sammad also met other members of Salehs GPC, in a move perceived to be a Houthi attempt to restore an alliance with the party. The Houthis, who protested against Saleh during the countrys 2011 uprisings, formed a shaky alliance with the long-time leader and his party against the government of the internationally recognised President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi in 2014. This cooperation broke down completely in recent weeks as Houthi fighters and Saleh loyalists clashed. Two days before he was killed on December 4, Saleh publicly stated his willingness to engage in talks with Saudi Arabia, which has been leading a military coalition against the Iran-aligned Houthis since March 2015. Last month, Saudi Arabia imposed a total blockade on the impoverished country after a rebel missile was shot down near the kingdoms capital, Riyadh, exacerbating an already grave humanitarian crisis. Amid mounting international pressure, Saudi Arabia began to allow some aid to enter the country in the last week of November. Despite this easing, the situation in Yemen remains severe, according to the UN. Splits within the GPC had emerged when Saleh formed an alliance with the Houthis; many party members then shifted their loyalty and support in line with Hadi. GPC Secretary-General Aref Zouka was killed shortly after Saleh and was buried on Saturday in his hometown. With Zouka gone, the GPCs future remains uncertain, with only a handful of leadership figures remaining.