Mediation committee back in Sa’adah

 

A presidential mediation committee, along with the Qatari committee arrived Sunday in Sa’adah in a bid to contain the volatile situation and sporadic clashes between government troops and al-Huthi rebels after the Friday mosque bombing, sources from the committee said.

This comes just after six suspects believed to be involved in the bombing that took place in front of the Bin Salman mosque after Friday prayers in Sa’adah governorate were arrested on Friday evening at a checkpoint with weapons in their car, said a spokesperson from the Ministry of Interior.

A motorcycle laden with explosives detonated resulting in the death of 16 people, including a woman and two children. Fifty others were injured, some of whom suffered severe injuries.  

The suspects were arrested few hours following the massive blast where eyewitnesses said that the car the suspects were driving was parked in front of the mosque and that none of the passengers went inside the mosque to pray; instead they waited until the bomb exploded and then escaped the scene, according to a statement from the Ministry of Interior.

The chairman of the seven-member committee set to resume talks.

 

Ali Abu Hulaika, said they would resume talks to bring to success a Qatari-brokered deal to end the four-year armed rebellion.

“We are here in Sa’adah to resume talks. We have been in meetings all the time today. But we can say anything yet to press,” Abu Hulaikah told Yemen Observer over phone from Sa’adah.

When asked if al-Huthi rebels had agreed to resume talks, he said,” It’s too early to speak about anything more than we are resuming talks.”

This new presidential committee, the third since the Qatari-brokered deal was signed last June, includes Saleh Habra, one of the two al-Huthi representatives.

Habra said he was not a member of the committee, although he said he was the representative of al-Huthi in the Doha-sponsored deal.

“I’m not a member of this committee I was surprised to see my name published in papers. Nobody informed me before,” Habra said.

However, Habra continued, saying, “Yes, I was one of al-Huthi representative for signing the Doha deal, but for this committee, they [officials] did not inform me before forming this committee.”

As violence escalates in North Yemen, the Governor of Sa’adah, Mutahr Rashad al-Musri, told Saba News Agency that members of al-Huthi have also started planting landmines. Three landmines exploded recently in the district of Haidan resulting in the death of several locals; three days ago another landmine exploded injuring five citizens, and on Thursday a further landmine exploded under a security vehicle injuring several soldiers.

The six suspects arrested are known al-Huthi followers and are being investigated, said the Director of Security in Sa’adah, General Mohammed Hamoud al-Qahm.  

Al-Qahm said that it was clear that members of al-Huthi were behind the incident since they had threatened the Imam of the Bin Salman mosque. The Imam is against the al-Huthi rebels and what they are doing, and has criticized them in his sermons on a number of occasions.

Last Tuesday unarmed soldiers were killed and several were injured amid dense firing by al-Huthis, said al-Musri adding that the soldiers were on their way back to work after leave.

Al-Musri said that soldiers are coming under fire almost daily, and that al-Huthis are trying to make the Qatari mediation and government efforts fail.

However, a statement issued by the al-Huthi group condemned the attack calling it tragic and for the truth to be sought objectively. The al-Huthi called on all Sa’adah citizens to unite, stating that some hostile elements aim to make the quest for peace fail and violence prevail, the website newsyemen reported.

Edroos al-Naqeeb, MP and a former member in the mediation committee said that using motorcycle loaded with explosives is dangerous issue and is a violation in any war calling on authorities to investigate the incident and who was behind it.

“This is a novel operation that people of Sa’adah have never witnessed and the idea is imported from militia that explode mosques where these explosives are being made against Yemeni people,” said director of the education office in Sa’adah Naji al-Ghaithi.

Al-Ghaithi expressed his surprise that such an act that he calls very ugly comes from people from Yemen that targets innocent worshipers and beggars that were killed   

Local Council member in Sa’adah, Mohammed Hassan Hader condemned the attack and described it as an act that contradicts with Islamic values and is the first of its kind   in the history of Yemen at large. Hader accused outside parties who aim to provoke and stir sectarian disputes and clashes.

Al-Naqeeb also said that there are parties that do not want to see peace and stability in Sa’adah fearing that they may lose their interests and benefits they gain from the continuity of war.

Other social and religious figures in Sa’adah said that this act will create hostility and hatred amongst society in addition to sectarian clash. They called also on all citizens and sheikhs to play an active role in condemning such acts that are dangerous.

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