Why has the Yemen government called for a general mobilisation?
Yemeni government offers amnesty to Houthi defectors, aiming to weaken rebel ranks and rebuild national unity.
Yemen’s internationally recognised government has called for a general mobilisation of the population as part of its long-anticipated pushback against the Houthis.
In his first speech since government forces were routed from the Red Sea coast, Rashad al-Alimi, head of the ruling Yemeni Presidential Leadership Council, made a national call to arms and asked citizens to “contribute in every way possible” in the fight against the Houthis.
It comes as the Houthis made dramatic advances in western Yemen in September, including capturing the city of Mocha and Mayyun Island. The assault follows the recent collapse of a 2022 government and Houthi truce, which had paused 12 years of fighting between the two sides.
Saudi Arabia has a lot to lose. In the last 24 hours, Riyadh claimed to have intercepted six Houthi ballistic missiles targeting the Yanbu area on the Red Sea and Taif, to the country’s West.