Yemen needs two-state solution as no prospect of ousting Houthis, says southern leader

"Speaking on the sidelines of the UN general assembly, Aidarous al-Zubaidi told the Guardian: The best solution for Yemen and the best path to stability is the two-state solution, whether by referendum or agreement. The reality on the ground is that there are two states militarily and economically. Between 1967 and 1990 the Arab world's poorest nation was divided in two, with the Yemen Arab Republic in the north and the communist People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in the south."

"The two states reunited in 1990 but in 2014 Houthi rebels seized the capital, Sana'a, unleashing a catastrophic civil war that displaced more than 4.5 million people before a 2022 ceasefire. In March 2015, a Saudi-led coalition launched an air campaign to prevent the rebels from overrunning the country's south, while the Houthis have used drones and missiles to attack Saudi Arabia and have targeted vessels in the Red Sea."

"Zubaidi said there was no prospect of removing the Houthis through bombing alone and little hope of a political settlement. The path to a political agreement between north and south is blocked. The Houthis have escalated their attacks on the sea lanes and they have been designated a terrorist organisation by America. There will never be a political agreement between the Houthis and the south, he said."

A two-state solution is proposed as the best path to stability, reflecting existing military and economic division between north and south. From 1967 to 1990 Yemen existed as two states—the Yemen Arab Republic in the north and the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in the south—before reunifying in 1990. Houthi rebels seized Sana'a in 2014, triggering a civil war that displaced over 4.5 million people prior to a 2022 ceasefire. A Saudi-led coalition launched an air campaign in 2015 while the Houthis used drones and missiles against Saudi Arabia and vessels in the Red Sea. Recent US and Israeli bombing campaigns have struck the Houthis, yet bombing alone is judged incapable of dislodging Houthi control and a north–south political agreement appears blocked.

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