Houthi official ‘concerned’ over Texas-US gov’t standoff, urges respect of human rights

The Deputy Foreign Minister in Yemen’s de-facto, Houthi-led government, Hussein Al-Ezzi, has taken to X yesterday to express his concern over the ongoing standoff between the US state of Texas and the federal government over access to Eagle Pass, and called on the parties to adhere to international human rights.

The flashpoint city is situated along the US-Mexico border and is at the heart of a dispute over the country’s migrant crisis and who has jurisdiction over the border crossing.

“I am concerned about the developments in Texas and that the parties to the conflict must respect international human rights law,” stated Al-Ezzi.

“The United States and other countries are undoubtedly facing horrific and stormy events. This is something that falls within what I mentioned in my pinned tweet two years ago.”

أشعر بقلق إزاء المستجدات في تكساس وعلى أطراف الصراع احترام القانون الدولي لحقوق الانسان

إن الولايات المتحدةودول أخرى مقبلة لاشك على أحداث مروعة وعاصفة
وهذا أمر يندرج ضمن ما كنت أشرت إليه في تغريدتي المثبتة منذعامين

(إن إرضاء صنعاء هو أقصر الطرق لتجنب المزيد من العقوبات الإلهية)

— حسين العزي (@hussinalezzi5) January 27, 2024

His pinned post in question, noted that “Yemen has faced great injustice and widespread global disappointment, and therefore we expect a great divine punishment that will affect the region and the world.”

“The wars and crises that loom on the horizon – regionally and internationally – are only a prelude to punishments arranged by heaven against the oppressors, and without a doubt, hastening to lift the injustice against Yemen may lessen the burden of what is to come,” he warned.

READ: Houthis report fresh US, UK airstrikes in Yemen

The US has been leading a series of airstrikes against Yemen in light of the Houthi-aligned armed forces’ naval operations against Israel-linked vessels in the Red Sea, in solidarity with the people of Gaza.

On 10 January Texas authorities blocked US Border Patrol agents from a 2.5-mile area in Eagle Pass, effectively seizing Shelby Park two days later, which has seen a surge of migrant crossings – last month the Border Patrol’s Del Rio sector, which includes Eagle Pass, processed as many as 4,000 migrants in a 24 hour period, “a record high” for the area.

A spokesperson for Texas Governor Greg Abbott justified the seizure by arguing that “Texas is holding the line at our southern border with miles of additional razor wire and anti‐​climb barriers to deter and repel the record‐​high levels of illegal immigration invited by President Biden’s reckless open border policies … the Biden administration allows unfettered access for Mexican cartels to smuggle people into our country.”

On 22 January, the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Biden administration being able to cut the razor wire put in place at the border by Texas over concerns of migrant safety and restricting the ability of the Border Patrol to aid migrants in need of help.

There has also been talk of southern and former Confederate states, potentially deploying their National Guards in support of Texas, raising fears of a new Civil War. Following the court ruling, Republican congressman Clay Higgins tweeted that “the feds are staging a civil war, and Texas should stand their ground.”

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