Page 160 - What Kind of Yemen ?

"N8I<MI>OFEJOCHF;

The recent history of Yemen, one of the oldest civilizations in the

world and described as "Happy Arabia" in ancient times, is filled with
wars, coups and political instability. Internal disorder in the country is
continuing relentlessly.
Yemen is one of the main countries to experience the flames of the
revolt that started with the Arab Spring. Now, it is once again on the
world agenda due to political conflicts and acts of violence.
Houthis are once again at the core of these incidents. The Shia'a

Houthis claim they are ignored by the government and are facing dis-
crimination. What they aim to achieve with their actions is to obtain
more rights and autonomy and to revitalize the Zaidi consciousness
against the current administration, which they claim is harming the
traditions of the Zaidi sect they belong to; that is why they have been
fighting the military since 2004 and forced the government and Presi-
dent Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to resign through their recent actions.
Some time ago, the leader of the Houthis, Abdel-Malek Houthi,
asked President Abd Rabbuh Mansour Hadi to establish a new govern-

ment that would represent different factions in a just power-sharing

158