Tribes around Sanaa resist Houthi recruitment of fighters — Asharq Al-Awsat

In rural areas around Yemen’s Sanaa, the Houthis are facing resistance from tribal leaders as they seek to expand mobilization and recruit fighters. Local and tribal sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that some sheikhs and influential community representatives refuse to send new groups of young people to the front.

According to the publication’s sources, since the beginning of the month Houthi representatives have intensified contacts with sheikhs in rural areas of Sanaa province. They called for armed gatherings, the announcement of tribal mobilization, and the provision of new fighters. The campaign covered, in particular, the areas of Bani Matar, Sanhan, Bani Bahlul, Bilad Al-Rus, Khawlan, Jahana, Hamdan, Arhab, Nihm, Safaan, and Manakhah.

Pressure on tribal sheikhs

Sources claim that the Houthis are pressuring sheikhs by threatening to strip them of privileges and impose financial penalties if they refuse to comply with the demands. At the same time, those who agree to send people to the front are offered financial and material incentives.

More current news is available on the UA.News Telegram channel Telegram.

According to the publication’s sources, some tribal leaders said they could not provide new fighters. They link this to a decline in the number of people willing to join recruitment efforts and families’ fears for young men who may be sent to combat areas.

Low turnout at gatherings

Separate tribal gatherings organized by the Houthis were recently held in the Bani Matar, Sanhan, and Nihm areas, but attendance was limited, local sources say. Houthi media outlets portrayed these events as an expression of tribal support, but the publication’s sources believe that they failed to involve broad groups of the population in mobilization.

Residents of the areas where the campaign was underway are calling for recruitment to stop and for efforts to be directed toward easing economic hardship and improving basic services. The Yemeni government has also appealed to tribal sheikhs, fathers, and mothers to prevent children from joining the Houthi ranks.