Weekly News Update 29 November 2012

Mohamed al-Sayaghi/Reuters/via Al-Monitor/http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/politics/2012/11/tribal-leaders-propose-initiative-to-resolve-conflict-with-south.html

Highlights:
Trouble again in the north
The Economist — 24 November 2012
Government troops are allowed to man their positions in a kind of unofficial stand-off, provided they do not attack the rebels, while armed Houthi fighters control checkpoints and let government soldiers receive their salaries. Across Yemen’s northern provinces, where the Houthis espouse a Shia-derived version of Islam known as Zaydism, their supporters have emerged from the shadows, spreading their writ into the neighbouring provinces of Amran, Hajjah and Jawf. Their influence extends even to Sana’a, where their slogan—“God is Great! Death to America! Death to Israel! Curse the Jews! Victory to Islam!”—is a common graffito on walls.

National Dialogue Conference’s share distribution decided
Yemen Times — 29 November 2012
The numbers give 50 percent to Yemenis from the south, 30 percent for women and 20 percent for youth. Additionally 62 seats of the participants will be allocated for President Hadi to fill in the gaps and add figures from the community as well as other entities such as marginalized, religious minorities, handicapped, artists, displaced persons, emigrants, businessmen, new parties, academics, religious leaders and so on.

Saudi Arabia and the Future of Yemen
Al-Tagheer via Al-Monitor — 26 November 2012
Although the Saudi leadership is keen on ensuring the success of the political settlement and implementing the Gulf Initiative, and is aware that exerting pressure and threatening both parties of the crisis with international sanctions was the main reason for the success of the political settlement until now, the kingdom has so far not shown any willingness to use its influence with the most prominent leaders of the secessionist movement at home and abroad, and try to pressure them to persuade them to participate in the national dialogue conference and abandon their impossible terms.