Revival of Houthi-Separatist Fighting Threatens Shaky Calm in Yemen

Ferocious clashes broke out on Sunday in Al-Hadd frontline of Lahj province in South Yemen, leaving 14 fighters dead, a military source said. Ten dead belonged to the Southern Transitional Council forces, and four were from the Ansar Allah (Houthi) group.

The confrontations between the two sides began after the Houthi militants launched a surprise attack on positions controlled by the southern separatists, killing and wounding several STC fighters.

This escalation of fighting happens amidst continued international and regional efforts to find a solution to the war, which erupted in 2015, creating one of the worst humanitarian crises in the world.

Violence in Yemen has reduced since April of last year, giving relief to millions of civilians. However, sporadic fighting on some frontlines keeps occurring. The Sunday's resumption of combat threatens Yemen's relative peace.

In his latest briefing to the UN Security Council, UN envoy to Yemen Hans Grundberg said this month that "public threats to return to war" and economic warfare between the government and the Houthis undermined peace.

Grundberg called on the warring sides to refrain from escalatory actions and use channels established under the truce to de-escalate incidents. However, the intermittent fighting points to the tremendous challenges the UN peace efforts continue to counter in Yemen.

Political observers in Yemen lack confidence in the success of peace efforts. Ali Al-Dahab, a Yemeni military expert, said, "Talking about a comprehensive peace in Yemen is just an illusion."

Al-Dahab indicated that each party to the conflict is prepared to engage in another long war, and such parties will not make peace.

On August 12, the Houthi group's leader, Abdulmalek Al-Houthi, said he could not wait long for the success of peace efforts. He stated, "We cannot remain silent about what is happening [in Yemen] for a long time. We have given way to mediation sufficiently. If positive developments do not take place …, our position will be firm and stern."