Yemen offers amnesty to Houthi defectors and calls for national mobilization

Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad al-Alimi has offered a future general amnesty to Houthi members who defect and cease fighting or working for the group, while calling for nationwide mobilization in support of government forces.

In a speech marking the 64th anniversary of the Sept. 26 Revolution, published Friday by the state-run Saba news agency, al-Alimi said the door was open to a “safe return to the ranks of the republic and constitutional legitimacy”.

He said those who abandon the Houthis and halt their activities would be covered by a “general amnesty to be issued later in accordance with constitutional and legal procedures”.

Call to join government forces

Authorities would also work to regularize the status of army and security personnel while protecting employment rights they had lawfully acquired, al-Alimi said.

The council chief urged Yemenis to respond to a “general mobilization and national call to action”, support the armed forces and security services, and enlist through official channels.

He said the government remained focused on restoring state institutions and extending its sovereignty throughout the country, including the capital, Sanaa. Changes along front lines or the loss of positions, he added, would not change that objective.

Al-Alimi accuses Houthis of escalation

Al-Alimi accused the Houthis of initiating the latest escalation inside Yemen and along its borders. He said developments in Taiz, Marib, Al-Jawf, Al Hudaydah, Lahj, Hadramout, Al-Bayda, Shabwa and Al-Dhale were part of an effort to impose a new reality by force.

He called on allied and friendly countries to support the Yemeni government and armed forces, as well as the Saudi-led coalition, saying the restoration of state institutions was also linked to regional and Red Sea security.

Al-Alimi also reaffirmed the council’s and government’s commitment to the outcome of Saudi-sponsored talks among southern Yemeni groups. He said the dialogue should produce a “just and comprehensive solution to the southern issue”.