Al Houthis flayed for brutal crackdown on protesters
COALITION URGES HODEIDA RESIDENTS TO LEAVE BATTLEGROUND AS MAJOR ASSAULT LOOMS
The Yemeni government yesterday condemned the Iran-allied Al Houthis’ crackdown on civilians, who rallied the day before in the militant-controlled capital Sana’a in protest against the hardships of daily life.
On Saturday, Al Houthi militiamen detained dozens of people, including female students, in Sana’a and prevented others from going to Tahir Square where major protests were planned. In the past few days, calls emerged online, urging residents of Sana’a to take to the streets to stage what campaigners called a “revolution of the hungry”.
“The Yemeni government, while denouncing such terrorist practices, emphasises that Yemenis have the right to raise their voices against those who have destroyed life and staged a coup against the ruling system and the state,” the government said in a statement carried by the official news agency Saba.
The government also urged the UN and humanitarian groups to condemn what it termed as Al Houthis’ “systematic crimes”.
The government yesterday blamed Al Houthis’ coup for the currency plunge and the resultant hikes in prices of different goods in the country. “Al Houthis have to recognise the legitimate government’s leadership ■ in this field and deal responsibly with the authority of the central bank in Aden so that the government will bear the full responsibility for managing economic, financial and monetary policies.”
Several Yemeni areas have recently seen angry protests against sharp rises in food prices and the free fall in the local currency. A major battleground is the coastal western city of Hodeida, which has a harbour vital for millions of Yemenis. Most of the commercial imports and relief supplies enter through it to the country.
The coalition command has called on Hodeida residents to shun fight areas around the Red Sea city “for their safety”, Al Arabiya reported yesterday.
“Your safety and preservation of your lives and property is a priority for the coalition command. Therefore, we call on you not to fight alongside Iran-supported Al Houthi militia or engage in a losing battle,” the Arab alliance added in leaflets addressing the city’s locals.