In Pictures

Gallery

In Pictures: Houthis take over Sanaa

Rebels held their position in the capital, celebrating their advance while continuing to raid their rivals’ buildings.

Save

By late September 21, a deal brokered over the course of the previous month was signed.
By Nasim al Sanani
Published On 27 Sep 2014

On September 21, a peace deal reached between Yemen’s warring factions ushered in a new political era in the country. The agreement, signed by representatives from all political parties, ended the week-long violence between Houthi fighters and government troops with allied militias. 

In mid-August, thousands of Houthi protesters, along with other groups, including supporters of former President Ali Abdullah Saleh, took to the streets in protest against the increase in fuel prices, which the government had implemented in late July, and demanded the formation of a new government.

Houthi fighters entered Sanaa on September 18 after a one month protest.

The main sites of conflict centred around strategic military bases and places controlled by Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, a member of al-Islah (Yemen’s Muslim Brotherhood) and one of the movement’s biggest rivals.

Fighting between Houthi forces and Islamists and tribal militias, along with military units loyal to al-Ahmar, quickly spiralled out of control, and saw the Houthis seize key strategic areas in the capital.

The resolution came suddenly – government troops surrendered, Houthis and other militias withdrew from most areas, and a deal was brokered between a number of political parties.

The peace agreement stipulates that President Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi appoint personal advisers from the Houthis and the Southern Movement, a movement that calls for the independence of southern Yemen, and form a new government within a month.

The question, however, across board in Yemen is: Will all parties honour the deal?

Advertisement
Members of a (***)peoples committee(***) who support the Houthis, guard the gates of Bab al Yemen in Old Sanaa.
Advertisement
New checkpoints have popped up all over the city, with the Houthi guards declaring they are simply keeping the peace.
Young men relax together in a men(***)s salon. When asked about the Houthi takeover, they replied, (***)The Houthis are our brothers, we just hope to build a better country now.(***)
The majority of battles between Houthi and government troops took place in the outskirts of the city, but residents of Old Sanaa could still hear shelling outside.
According to a draft of the deal obtained by Al Jazeera, the president will have to appoint a new government within a month from signing the deal.
To keep the peace, Houthis gather to protect the road leading to Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar and Hamid al-Ahmar(***)s house.
Advertisement
Neighbourhood boys try to enter the houses of Ali Mohsen al-Ahmar, which had been looted recently.
A man walks away from the corner store in Shamlan, the site of heavy clashes between Houthi fighters and allied government and Islah militas.
Sanaa(***)s northern and western districts, the scenes of fierce battles over the last week, were damaged by relentless shelling.
At least 200 people were killed in fighting on the outskirts of the capital, the government said.
Yemeni men examine the damage caused by an artillery shell on the street in Sanaa. The shelling and its aftermath reportedly killed seven people.