The UAE has made a significant commitment to supporting stability and the rule of law in Yemen by extending its military action — from the continued support for the Saudi-led coalition against the Al Houthi insurgency to taking a lead in fighting Al Qaida. UAE forces are taking their hard-won skills from action in Afghanistan and Somalia to lead the way in training thousands of Yemeni troops.
The UAE has already made a huge contribution to the successful fight against the Al Houthis, driving them out of Aden and forcing them back to the north, where there is a now a rough ceasefire as talks continue.
But during the year-long fight against Al Houthi militants, Al Qaida took the opportunity of the chaos of war to grab control of large swathes of territory in the east of Yemen.
It seized Mukalla, Yemen’s third port, and took control over territory that it had never held before. It then used these assets to raise a steady income of tens of millions of dollars to support their dangerous terror plans.
This is why the UAE had to act, and it has worked with the Yemenis and the Americans in the background to successfully evict Al Qaida from Mukalla.
This was a significant blow to Al Qaida because not only was Mukalla one of their major assets in Yemen, but the Yemeni branch of Al Qaida is seen as one of the most effective in the network. Its defeat is a significant loss to Al Qaida’s morale and reputation.
The UAE is also working to rebuild Yemen and has made a substantial contribution to restoring Aden to good working order, often in a very practical way such as helping sort out its battered hospitals, police force and even its air traffic control.
Mukalla is now getting the same treatment because the coalition allies recognise that a military victory is only a first step to helping restore legitimate government and rebuilding the economy for the benefit of the Yemeni people.
It is to be hoped that the latest round of talks in Kuwait go well under the leadership of the United Nations, so that a Yemeni unity government can be formed, which will include the Al Houthis and others. If there is peace in the north, then the UAE and others in the coalition to support Yemen can focus on the next tasks of eliminating Al Qaida and rebuilding a prosperous Yemen.
gulfnews.com
