Involved in Conflict in The Middle East: Who Exactly Are The Houthis?

UNGKIT.COM – Recently, the Houthi group has once again come into the spotlight due to its involvement in conflicts in the Middle East, particularly with Saudi Arabia.

The Houthi group—often spelled "Houthi"—is an armed political, religious, and military movement based in Yemen, with a membership primarily composed of followers of the Zaydi branch of Shia Islam.

Calling themselves Ansar Allah ("Supporters of God"), the group was formed in the 1990s in the Saada Governorate of northern Yemen. It is named after its founder, Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi (commonly referred to as Hussein al-Houthi).

Under the leadership of Hussein Badr al-Din al-Houthi, the group emerged as a Zaydi opposition force against former Yemeni President Ali Abdullah Saleh. 

They accused Saleh of massive financial corruption and criticized him for being backed by Saudi Arabia and the United States—at the expense of the Yemeni people and the nation's sovereignty.

After refusing an order from Saleh for his arrest, Hussein was killed in Saada in 2004 by the Yemeni army, along with several of his bodyguards—an event that ignited the Houthi insurgency in Yemen. Since then, with the exception of a brief period of intervention, the movement has been led by his brother, Abdul-Malik al-Houthi.

The Houthi group controls a large portion of northwestern Yemen, the capital city of Sana'a, as well as areas along the Red Sea coast and the Bab al-Mandab Strait.

The ideology and slogans of the Houthis oppose the influence of the United States and Israel. The group is part of the "Axis of Resistance"—an alliance supported by Iran that also includes groups such as Hamas and Hezbollah. 

The Houthis are engaged in a civil war against the legitimate government of Yemen—which is backed by a Saudi-led military coalition—and have launched drone and missile attacks into Saudi Arabian territory, as well as against ships in the international shipping lanes of the Red Sea.

The Houthis took part in the 2011 Yemeni Revolution by participating in street protests and coordinating with other opposition groups.

They joined the National Dialogue Conference in Yemen as part of a Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) initiative aimed at brokering peace following the unrest.

However, the Houthis subsequently rejected the terms of the November 2011 GCC agreement, which stipulated the establishment of six federal regions in Yemen.

They argued that the agreement failed to fundamentally reform governance and contended that the proposed federation would divide Yemen into poor and wealthy regions.

The Houthis also feared that the agreement was a blatant attempt to weaken them by fragmenting the territories under their control into separate, distinct regions.

In late 2014, the Houthis mended ties with former president Ali Abdullah Saleh; with his assistance, they seized control of the capital and much of the northern territory.

Between 2014 and 2015, the Houthis—aided by former president Ali Abdullah Saleh—took over the government in Sana'a and declared the fall of the administration of Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi.

The Houthis have come to control the vast majority of northern Yemen. Since 2015, they have also resisted a Saudi-led military intervention in Yemen, which claims to seek the restoration of the internationally recognized Yemeni government to power.

Furthermore, the Islamic State militant group has launched attacks against all major parties to the conflict, including the Houthis, forces loyal to Saleh, the Yemeni government, and the Saudi-led coalition forces.

Since its inception, the Houthi movement has been led by figures including Hussein Badruddin al-Houthi (the founder and leader, who was killed in 2004), Abdul-Malik Badruddin al-Houthi (the current leader), and Yahya Badruddin al-Houthi (a senior leader). 

Then, Abdul-Karim Badruddin al-Hutsi (high-ranking commander), Badruddin al-Hutsi (spiritual leader who died in 2010), Abdullah al-Ruzami (former military commander), Abu Ali Abdullah al-Hakim al-Hutsi (military commander), Saleh Habra (political leader), and Faris Mana'a — the Hutsi-appointed governor of Sa'dah, and former chairman of President Saleh's committee. (*)

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