Twelve Years After Igniting the War: When Will Colonialism Stop Shedding the Blood of the People of Yemen?

(Translated)

Al-Rayah Newspaper - Issue 605 - 24/06/2026

By: Engineer Shafiq Khamis – Wilayah Yemen

On Wednesday, June 10, 2026, the office of the UN Special Envoy for Yemen, Hans Grundberg, issued a statement regarding a meeting in Amman. The meeting brought together representatives from the Military Coordination Committee—comprising the Yemeni government and the Joint Forces Command of the Saudi-led coalition supporting the “legitimate government” in Yemen.

The Coordination Committee meetings—held periodically—began on Sunday, June 7, 2026, and continued through Wednesday, June 10, 2026. They included representatives from the ministry of Shaya’ al-Zandani and from Riyadh—the commander of the war on Yemen. Riyadh’s objective was not to oust the Houthis—as it had claimed—but instead to entrench their rule by destroying the military formations opposed to them in the southern and eastern regions and along the West Coast; forces that are largely affiliated with the UAE, Britain’s protégé.

This committee was established under UN auspices in May 2022 to monitor the ceasefire, solidify the truce between government forces and the Houthis, and push for a political settlement to end the conflict. The committee includes military representatives from the Yemeni government, the Houthi group, and the command of the coalition supporting the “legitimate government.” It meets periodically under the supervision of the UN Special Envoy’s office—following the announcement of the UN-brokered truce in April 2022—with the participation of both parties to the armed conflict in Yemen. The Houthis—whom Grundberg had gathered in Amman for a similar meeting with representatives from Riyadh on April 21, 2026—remained silent. They did not respond to Grundberg’s statement issued on Wednesday, June 10, 2026, in which he called for a meeting involving all three parties without specifying a date.

The Amman meeting coincided with the Houthis launching missiles and drones toward occupied Palestine on Monday, June 8, 2026. Earlier, on Sunday, March 29, 2026—following the Houthis’ announcement the previous day, via spokesman Yahya Saree, that they were entering the war in support of Iran—Grundberg had issued a statement noting that Houthi entry into the conflict would complicate the resolution of the dispute in Yemen, deepen its economic repercussions, and prolong civilian suffering. The topics addressed during the four-day meetings in Amman included a ceasefire, maritime security, and de-escalation measures.

While UN envoys have—over the past 12 years—persistently dangled the “carrot” of international legitimacy before the Houthis, a status the group desperately covets, Grundberg reiterated that maintaining a serious dialogue within the Military Coordination Committee, and through other channels, can tangibly support our broader efforts to make progress toward a lasting peace in Yemen. This meeting takes place amidst ongoing changes in Aden and the southern governorates—specifically the restructuring of the army to unify military formations of diverse origins and compositions, and the reshuffling of military and security leadership under the "Homeland Shield Forces" initiative. Riyadh is driving this initiative—led by Falah Al-Shahrani, an advisor to its Ministry of Defense—to serve its master, America, and eliminate British agents in areas controlled by the Al-Zandani government.

It also coincides with a resurgence of assassinations that began on the evening of Wednesday, June 3, 2026, in Seiyun, Hadhramaut Governorate, with the killing of intelligence officer Colonel Lafi Ahmed Salem bin Jaafar Al-Amri. This was followed on Thursday, June 4, 2026, by an attack on the headquarters of Salem Ahmed Al-Khanbashi—Governor of Hadhramaut and a member of the “Council of Eight”—in Mukalla, using three drones of unknown origin. Subsequently, Brigadier General Yahya Wahish, commander of the First Division, was assassinated in Al-Khokha, Al-Hudaydah Governorate, on Saturday, June 6, 2026, by an explosive device targeting his convoy. On Sunday, June 7, 2026, Mohammed Ahmed Al-Hamdi—son of the former Mukalla security chief—was assassinated in Mukalla, followed by the assassination of security officer Adli Mahrouq in Mudiyah, Abyan Governorate, on Monday, June 8, 2026. These assassinations spanned five consecutive days, with a one-day hiatus on Friday.

The wave of violence continued with an explosion on Wednesday, June 10, 2026 at the Al-Solban camp in Aden—affiliated with the Giants Brigades—which claimed the lives of 12 individuals, according to a preliminary toll, and left nine others wounded. This is all unfolding amidst dire domestic conditions: the suspension of public sector salaries in both Sanaa and Aden, the adulteration of gasoline in Sanaa, rising diesel prices in Aden, and the deterioration of essential services—foremost among them, electricity.

This coincides with military tensions in the heart of the Muslim World, driven by a US-led military offensive and blockade against Iran—backed by its protégé, the Jewish entity—since February 28, 2026, alongside the closure of the Strait of Hormuz. The stated pretext is preventing Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons—a scenario echoing the US occupations of Afghanistan and Iraq, which were justified by the need to prevent the possession of weapons of mass destruction.

Meanwhile, UN Envoy Grundberg continues to pressure the Houthis to release the 73 detained individuals—employees of the UN and other Western organizations held since May 2024. Regardless of whether they were aware of the “spy” label, the reality of their detention remains the same. He has linked their continued detention to a reduction in aid provided by UN programs and affiliated organizations; UN Secretary-General António Guterres has joined this pressure campaign, holding the Houthis responsible for the aid cuts.

This is how the international order manages global affairs: waging war on nations that do not voluntarily align with its schemes and subjugating peoples through imposed solutions, all under the watch of regimes it handpicked and installed in precarious positions—regimes that have turned their backs on Allah (swt) and His Messenger (saw). The international order is keen to keep the cards of this dirty political game in its own hands. Yet, it cannot perpetually subjugate and humiliate peoples by threatening to cut off aid or instilling the fear of starvation should they defy it—choosing instead to obey their Creator and Maker, the One who ordained the system for a tranquil human life. As Allah (swt) says,

[وَلَوْ أَنَّ أَهْلَ الْقُرَىٰ آمَنُوا وَاتَّقَوْا لَفَتَحْنَا عَلَيْهِم بَرَكَاتٍ مِّنَ السَّمَاءِ وَالْأَرْضِ] “And if only the people of the cities had believed and feared Allah, We would have opened upon them blessings from the heaven and the earth” [TMQ Surah Al-A’raaf: 96]. This leaves Muslims with no choice but to raise their voices loudly in demand for the establishment of Islamic ruling governance on earth under the Second Khilafah Rashidah (Rightly-Guided Caliphate)—especially after the international order has become so repugnant, its stench of corruption filling the air across the globe.