Houthis continue to escalate situation in Yemen; no voice of UN

Mohammed Abdul Ghaffar

Despite the Stockholm agreement of December 2018 and the international mediation to dissolve it, the Houthi militia is still practicing against it.

Military escalation in Hodeidah

The Yemeni army has accused the Houthi militia of escalating militarily in the western province of Hodeidah by creating military sites in the province, which clearly contravenes Sweden’s agreement between the militia and the Yemeni state.

Spokesman of the National Resistance Forces Brigadier General Tariq Saleh said in press statements on Saturday, October 12, 2019, that the Houthis have developed military positions in the area of ​​al-Jah in the Directorate of Beit al-Faqih, located southeast of Hodeidah, and the point of Qurshiya south of al-Jah in the Directorate of Beit al-Faqih.

He added that the Fifth Brigade of the Republican Guard succeeded in destroying a bulldozer belonging to the Houthi militia in the region, while it is developing new sites in the region; considering that what Houthis are doing is a clear violation of the Swedish agreement, and emphasize its non-compliance with UN resolutions.

The military escalation by the Houthi militia comes at the same time of the arrival of the head of the United Nations Mission in support of the Swedish Agreement and Chairman of the Coordinating Committee for Redeployment General Abhijit Guha to Hodeidah, in order to see the development of the situation in the city.

Close the crossings in Taiz

Not only did the Iranian-backed terrorist organization escalate the campaign in Hodeidah, but it went further, closing the crossings in Taiz, southwestern Yemen, and accusing the national army of doing so.

Taiz Governor Nabil Shamsan said in a tweet through his official account on Twitter: “We are not closing the crossings, and directed the leadership of the axis (army command in the province) to do so, once the Houthis officially announce and open the crossings by them, the crossings on our part will be ready.”

This comes after the launch of figures loyal to the Houthi militia, such as the former governor of Taiz, Shawki Ahmed Hael, an initiative that leads to the opening of the crossings leading to the city, especially after those crossings hindered the daily life of citizens in the city.

In a related context, the governor of Hodeidah, Hassan Taher, said that the Yemeni government is waiting for the courageous announcement of the United Nations to expose those obstructing the agreement of Sweden, against the backdrop of the successive escalation of the Houthi militia.