Yemeni president says most of the country is back under state control

Yemeni President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi said on Saturday that the state administration now covers almost all of the country. He noted that the Houthis and other militants are looking for a “lifeline” after they have become little more than “gangs”, the Palestinian Al-Resalah newspaper reported.

Marking one year since the beginning of the Saudi-led intervention known as Operation Decisive Storm, Mansur said in a televised speech that Yemen is a safer country now that the army’s role has been reinforced. “The Yemeni government is currently controlling most of the country and [the fight] will continue until all the country is liberated. The nation will remain the decision-maker.”

He described the Houthis and their allies, including the remnants of forces loyal to ousted President Ali Abdullah Saleh, as “forces who followed the footsteps of the devil and the directions of sick leaders.” Mansur insisted that they have no place in Yemen and reiterated that the government is dealing positively with the UN envoy to the country in order to achieve peace and regain full control of the state based on UN Resolution 2216.

Meanwhile, Saleh addressed his supporters in Sanaa on Saturday and called for direct talks with Saudi Arabia. He accused the UN Security Council of doing nothing to stop the “aggression” and stressed his alliance with the Houthis, whose leader Abdullah al-Houthi added that his group has been seeking to stop the war for one year through political means and on the battlefield. He expressed his hopes that the ongoing efforts led by tribal leaders succeed, pointing out, however, that the Houthis are ready for a long-term struggle.