Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council Chairman Rashad al-Alimi on Friday called on the people to mobilise, rally in the national interest and support the armed forces and security services, and to join their ranks through official channels, amid escalating clashes with the Houthi group on several Yemeni fronts.
Al-Alimi announces amnesty for those returning from the Houthi group
He added that the initiative included a commitment to regularise the status of army and security personnel while safeguarding their legally acquired employment rights. He said the measure aimed to prevent the shedding of Yemeni blood, end the war and prevent acts of revenge and retaliation.
Call to defend state institutions and retake Sanaa
Al-Alimi called on Yemenis to contribute, each from their position, to defending the republic and state institutions. He said the goal was to restore state institutions and extend their sovereignty across all Yemeni territory, reaching Sanaa. He said the course of the battles should not be measured by temporary advances or retreats at a particular location, but by the clarity of the objective and the ability of state institutions to regain the initiative.
The Presidential Leadership Council chairman accused the Houthi group of launching the current escalation inside Yemen and across its borders, saying the state would take the necessary measures to protect civilians, civil peace and the country’s vital interests. He linked his call for mobilisation to the clashes and military tensions in areas of Taiz, Marib, Al Jawf, Hudaydah, Lahij, Hadramaut, Al Bayda, Shabwa and Al Dhale.
Al-Alimi said the developments represented an attempt to impose a new reality by force, warning that their repercussions could extend to Yemen’s coasts and regional security. He added that previous concessions had not, in his assessment, led to lasting peace, but had allowed the group to reorganise its ranks and prepare for new rounds of escalation.
Warnings of escalation and calls to protect civilians
Al-Alimi addressed residents of the governorates under Houthi control, stressing that the state did not view them as a party to the conflict, but as partners with a right to peace and stability. He urged families in those areas not to allow their children to be drawn into the fighting, saying that preserving young people’s lives, education and future was part of rebuilding Yemen.
He also called on the armed forces, security agencies, military formations and popular resistance to comply with the law and maintain discipline while protecting civilians and public and private property. He praised the positions of Yemeni tribes supporting state institutions and urged them to continue their role in uniting ranks and preventing acts of revenge and retaliation.
Commitment to southern dialogue and calls to support the government
The Presidential Leadership Council chairman renewed his commitment, along with council members and the government, to the outcomes of the Saudi-sponsored intra-southern dialogue, which he said should lead to a fair and comprehensive solution to the southern issue. He noted that the southern governorates had borne the burdens of war, displacement and economic pressure and had made sacrifices that required recognition of their contribution and that of their people.
Al-Alimi called on brotherly and friendly countries to support the Yemeni government and its armed forces and back the Saudi-led coalition, saying that restoring state institutions served the security of Yemen and the countries of the region as well as shipping in the Red Sea. He also thanked Saudi Arabia and the coalition countries for their continued support for the government, people and Yemeni forces.
The address came a day after al-Alimi said during a meeting with the British ambassador that government forces were capable of regaining the initiative and dealing with escalation on multiple fronts.
At the time, he linked the security of the Red Sea and Bab al-Mandab to the existence of a Yemeni state that controlled its territory, coasts and territorial waters, calling for an arms embargo to be enforced and for smuggling and financing networks linked to the Houthis to be pursued.
