For nearly six years, the Government of Yemen (GoY) has conducted military operations
north of the capital against groups of its citizens known as “Huthis.” In spite of
using all means at its disposal, as of the beginning of 2010, the GoY has been unable to
subdue the Huthi movement. Along with southern discontent and al-Qa‘ida–inspired
terrorism, the Huthi conflict presents an enduring threat to the regime of President ‘Ali
‘Abdullah Saleh and the stability of Yemen. As Huthi-GoY warfare began again in the
fall of 2009, Saudi Arabia intervened as well, bringing a major U.S. ally into a regionalized
conflict. The recent ceasefire of February 2010 by no means signals an end to
conflict, as several such ceasefires have proven short-lived since 2004.
The Huthi movement is based on the family of the same name, which is native
to the Sa‘da governorate. The Huthi family is part of the Zaydi branch of Islam, theologically
situated between Sunnism and Shi‘ism. Armed conflict commenced in the
summer of 2004, after Huthi supporters started chanting anti-U.S. and anti-Israel
slogans in the capital, San‘a. Since then, the separate phases of warfare have become
continuous conflict with short lulls. In spite of the full force of the GoY military
and regional states’ attempts at mediation, fighting continues in the north. Clashes
have occurred primarily in the Sa‘da governorate but have recently been migrating
southward.
The Huthi-GoY conflict pits a conventional military using heavy weapons against
an unconventional opponent made up of small groups of temporary fighters. The costs
to the north of the country have been significant. Casualty estimates range from hundreds
to more than 20,000. Estimates of displaced persons reach up to 150,000 people
throughout the country, and an estimated 3,000 people have been arrested for supporting
the Huthis. At the same time, a news blackout obscures the ongoing destruction
in the conflict zone.