Former president Saleh proposing peace initiative to end fighting in Yemen: sources

Asharq al-Awsat ^ | 4-13-15

[wayoverontheright]

Cairo, Sana’a and Riyadh, Asharq Al-Awsat—In the latest sign of his growing rift with the Iran-backed Shi’ite Houthi movement, ousted former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh is proposing a peace initiative to stop the fighting in the country, sources told Asharq Al-Awsat on Saturday.

Saleh, who was ousted in 2012 after mass protests against his more than three decade rule, initially backed the Houthi coup in Yemen in February and their takeover of the capital Sana’a in September.

Saleh allegedly helped ease the advance of the movement’s militias across the country, via elements in the Yemeni military and security establishments still loyal to him, who effectively created a security vacuum across the country which the Houthis could then fill.

However, the sources, who requested anonymity in order to protect their identities, said Saleh had sent the assistant secretary-general of his General People’s Congress (GPC) party, Abu Bakr Al-Qirbi, on a foreign mission to Arab countries to propose a peace initiative drafted by the former president to end the ongoing war in Yemen.

They added that the Houthis, who had been consulted regarding the initiative, were, however, “reluctant” to abide by it as they were keen to “resolve things on the ground” themselves.

“The initiative is the one most likely to achieve consensus [between all parties] and a solution in Yemen. It proposes the cessation of all military operations in the country and for the [Houthi] militias to vacate all ministries and government institutions in Sana’a and Aden.”

The initiative also proposes that militias belonging to the Houthis and “any other faction” leave Aden and return all weapons seized from the state to “non-aligned elements from the military,” the sources added. It also calls for the reformation of the Yemeni military institution in coordination with other Arab countries.

[wayoverontheright]

A rift between Saleh, Yemen's former leader, and the Houthis could be a good thing, in that if the Arab Coalition wins in Yemen, then Iran gets a big black eye. Not sure if Hadi's return is good or not, but getting Iran out of Yemen will give time to restore order there.