Yemen: A Uniquely Failed State

Mid morning yesterday, no less than 5 suicide bombers entered a predominantly Shia mosque in the city of Saan’a. According to eyewitness reports, the first bombers detonated their explosives amongst the crowd of Houthi worshippers, and then, just as the survivors began to flee, a final bomber set off his bomb vest, killing many more. In total 142 people were murdered, and several hundred more injured. It was the worst attack so far in Yemen’s new civil war. Yemen’s collapse into war has been a long time coming. The country has faced severe instability since the Arab Spring in 2011, at risk of being torn apart by Shia Houthi Rebels in the north, separatist fighters in the south, and Al Qaeda Sunni extremists in the east. Despite this, the government of Abd Rabbuh Hadi had managed to hold on to power, after making large amounts of concessions, and even turning the country into a federation.

#Yemen Republic Conflict Map |03-11 Full Resolution: http://t.co/gkcCLARDTJ #AQAP #SOUTHYEMEN #HOUTHI pic.twitter.com/2mcqFDeiem

— Mark Monmonier (@MarkMonmonier) March 11, 2015 This all changed in January this year, when Houthi rebels moved into the capital Sana’a. While there were some small skirmishes with government forces, the Houthis were effectively able to capture the city without a fight, forcing President Hadi to flee to the southern city of Aden. In the wake of the move, the UN (as well as several foreign powers) attempted to promote a national dialogue whereby a new government structure could be cobbled together. This was seen as the last chance for the country to avoid all-out civil war. Sadly, this dialogue did not happen, and in recent days we have seen the resumption of fighting throughout the country. The fighting cumulated with an attempt by the Houthis to attack government controlled Aden; however despite airstrikes and heavy fighting, this push was unsuccessful.