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Yemen

Political Analysts Fear Seventh War In Sa'ada

Mohammad Bin Sallam

Published:19-04-2010

SA'ADA, April 18 - Recent media altercations between the government and the Houthis in the media have intensified to the extent that political analysts expect the war to resume in Sa'ada and Harf Sufian, Amran.

Houthis accused the state on Saturday of urging for a new war.

Saleh Habra, the spokesman for the Houthis, said in a press release that the state is evading its responsibilities after the six wars in Sa'ada and that it plans for a new war.

When the 2007 Doha agreement was signed, Habra said: "The way to finish the Sa'ada issue is not by ending the war, but rather by having the real intention to believe that the war is of no benefit. [...] The state has to release all prisoners and make tangible solutions. The state does not see the death of a solider in the battlefield as a loss because as it can replace it with another. We think that it is a loss for the whole country."

He added, "President Saleh presents himself as the state, the unity, the democracy, the constitution and the law. If the citizen loves him then he is patriot and if the citizen supports him then he is with the unity of Yemen."

Habra stressed that there must be tangible steps such as releasing prisoners, returning employees to their jobs, and paying them.

Military plane shot

On Thursday, a military transport plane on which was the Minister of Defense, Mohammad Naser Ahmad, was reportedly shot at.

The minister was on his way to visit the Yemeni military units in Sa'ada. Other security and militants officers were with him on the same plane.

Houthis denied any link to the accident and offered to help investigate who was behind the incident.

State cries murder

The Ministry of Defense accused Houthis in Minbah district, Sa'ada, of killing soldier Namran Sulaiman Hadshan at the end of March.

The latter reportedly worked as a guard for Sheikh Mohammad Ali Al-Manbahi, a member in the parliament.

The soldier was said to be thrown into a well after he was killed.

The Houthi information office said that, 20 days ago, the soldier fell in the well and died immediately.

"We have no link to the incident and everybody knows this in the area," the office added.

The Houthi office said that the Ministry of Defense wanted to accuse the Houthis of killing the soldier because it has ulterior motives.

A seventh war?

Analysts expressed their concern over the possibility of a seventh war in the northern governorate.

They have criticized both the attitude of the state and of the Houthis for being careless and possibly stoking another war.

According to the analysts, if there is a possible war in the sight, nothing can be said except that there is an intrigue to renew the war that first broke out in the north of Yemen in June 2004.

Renewing the war will only benefit those who earn their living by buying weapons and helping to kill innocents. They called on the state to be logical and not launch another war for any reason.

Donations for the displaced

The US has allocated USD 4.9 million for the displaced people of Sa'ada and Harf Sufian, Amran governorate.

The US Embassy said on Saturday that the UN refugee agency (UNHCR) allocated the money for 250,000 displaced persons who fled their homes due to the war.

"The financial support comes within the frame of the US emergency help for the humanitarian activities in areas damaged by the war and for displaced people by offering them relief and shelter," the embassy said.