As the sixth war is on a short hold due to humanitarian reasons, Houthi leader Abdul Malik Al-Houthi took the next step in increasing his international presence by a simple change.
Over the last six years, every Houthi spokesperson talked on behalf of the group and not a specific person. However, last week that changed. Whether on Al-Jazeera or any other strong news source, the spokesperson was not representing Houthis anymore and is now representing Abdul Mailk Al-Houthi.
This, in my opinion has two different scenarios. One is that Houthis are facing internal problems and this made Abdul Malik choose to represent himself and not the group. This view is hard to believe as sources within Houthi militants assure that all followers obey only Abdul Malik.
The other view is that he is trying to be the only face of the group, (exactly what Hasan Nasrullah did the 1980’s). All of us know the power that Hizbollah has, but does anyone of us know any figure for them except Hasan Nasrullah? This is what Abdul Malik is trying to do now.
I wouldn’t be surprised if we hear him giving strong speeches after five years and receive international attention. The step he took this week in being the only face of Houthis, will make him the sole leader and face and heart of the militia group.
His brother Hussain Al-Houthi was killed by the government five years ago, and they thought that with his death the rebellion would be over. The government was wrong, and now with Abdul Malik in power and residing in Germany, the group plans to stay in Sa’ada for many years to come. As long as their leader is alive and well, there is nothing that could stop the rebellious only by giving Houthis a big piece of the ruling cake. This is something the government has vowed never to do. So, don’t expect the Sa’ada crisis to disappear at least for the next 20 years.
 

ABOUT Yemen Post Publisher & Chief Editor:

Hakim Almasmari is an American journalist and Middle East expert based in Sana'a, Yemen. His work has appeared for many of the worlds top media outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, Washington Post, AlJazeera, Fox News, The Guardian, The National, USA Today among numerous others. He has also worked with some of the world’s top organizations. Reporting out of Yemen for nearly eight years, he is the current editor in chief for the Yemen Post. He is a university lecturer in the field of international media and also studied business and law. Considered one of the top experts on Yemen, Almasmari has closely worked with international strategic centers and think tanks helping them better understand Yemen. He is a frequent guest on many international TV outlets discussing current local and international affairs. Almasmari's ancestors are from Yemen, and was born in Detroit, Michigan, USA. His mother tongue is English and is fluent in Arabic.