Yemen rebels gain say in government

SANAA, Yemen – Shiite rebels holding Yemen’s president captive in his home reached a deal with the U.S.-backed leader Wednesday to end a violent standoff in the capital, fueling fears that a key ally in the battle against al-Qaida has been sidelined.

The late-night agreement, which promises the rebels greater say in running the Arab world’s poorest nation in exchange for removing its fighters from President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi’s residence and key areas of the capital, left unclear who really controls the country.

In the deal, carried on the official SABA news agency, the Houthi rebels also agreed to release a top aide to Hadi who they had kidnapped in recent days.

The Houthis, who seized control of the capital and many state institutions in September, say they only want an equal share of power. Critics say they want to retain Hadi as president in name only, while keeping an iron grip on power.

The power vacuum has raised fears Yemen’s al-Qaida’s branch, which claimed the recent attack on a French satirical weekly and is considered by Washington to be the terror group’s most dangerous affiliate, will only grow more powerful as Yemen slides toward fragmentation and the conflict takes on an increasingly sectarian tone. The Shiite Houthis and Sunni terror group are sworn enemies.

After days of violent clashes and the seizure of the presidential palace, aides to Hadi said early Wednesday he was “captive” in his home after Houthi rebels removed his guards and deployed their own fighters.

Soon after the agreement Wednesday night, there was no visible change in Houthi deployment outside Hadi’s house.

While Wednesday’s deal stopped short of asserting a Houthi takeover of government, analysts said the Shiite rebels had become Yemen’s de facto ruling power.

“The Houthis are in effective control,” said Jamal Khashoggi, a Saudi columnist and observer of Yemen’s affairs. “Even if Hadi agrees to stay president, he no longer controls Yemen and can’t give orders. … The fear is the country will be dragged toward division and infighting.”

Speaking to reporters in Washington, State Department spokeswoman Jen Psaki said, “Clearly, we’ve seen a breakdown in the institutions in Yemen.” However, she added, “the legitimate Yemeni government is led by President Hadi.”

“We remain in touch with him. He is in his home,” she said, adding that Washington’s “ongoing counterterrorism cooperation with Yemen has continued” despite this week’s standoff.