Following the death of yet another Yemeni soldier in the capital, Sana’a and the publication of an al-Qaeda video, featuring the infamous terror commander, Nasser al-Wuhaishi addressing hundreds of Islamic militants, Yemen Foreign Minister, Abu Bakr al-Qirbi told Asharq al-Awsat (pan-Arab newspaper), “security is one of the main challenges facing Yemen.”
While such warnings have been made before by state officials, the minister’s comments came as state dignitaries are preparing to meet in London for the Friends of Yemen meeting, somewhat hinting that most discussions will revolve around security.
Speaking of Yemen’ security crisis, Minister al-Qirbi made clear that alone, the impoverished nation neither has the capacity nor the infrastructure to weather the many threats which have come to surface since 2011: al-Qaeda, dissident groups and criminal gangs involved in human and weapon trafficking.
Over the past 10 days alone, Yemen saw two Saudi border guard patrols attack from its northern border region, al-Baydha deputy governor was gunned down by unidentified armed men allegedly linked to al-Qaeda, an Uzbek national was kidnapped in Marib and a soldier was killed in Sana’a, notwithstanding other security scare in the south-eastern province of Hadhramawt and the northern province of Arman where opposing tribes have come to clash on a regular basis.
Regardless of the progress President Abdo Rabbo Mansour Hadi secured politically and institutionally, security remains an ever-expanding black cloud over the impoverishes, one which carries the seed of an almighty storm should Yemen’s partners fail to recognise the gravity of the situation.