January 27, 2015
As this Advisory is written, Yemen is essentially a country without governance. The following quote from the New York Times on January 25 is informative: “Power in Yemen is largely centered in the hands of individuals rather than institutions, and national identity often competes with tribal and sectarian allegiances. The Houthi-led takeover, which forced the resignation of President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi on Thursday (January 22), is part of a broader structure of shifting alliances and warring interests that are now being negotiated behind closed doors, political analysts and officials say.”
In the present environment, dynamic and violent change is likely to be the norm for at least the foreseeable future. With the major competing parties enjoying backing from state allies, and with the fundamental dispute between Shiite radicals (the Houthi network) and Sunni radicals (AQAP) resulting in violent competition; the lack of a functional government (or any peace-keeping force) virtually guarantees a season of increasing violence. In this environment, CCI assesses the threat to faith-based organizations and their staff, especially western expatriate staff, in Yemen to have increased to critical.
Read the full Advisory HERE.