By Samia Nakhoul and Marwa Rashad
DAVOS, Switzerland (Reuters) – The vice president of Yemen's U.N.-recognized government on Tuesday welcomed Donald Trump's return as U.S. president, saying it was a decisive turn to curb the Houthis. supported by Iran, which he said threatens regional stability and maritime security. .
Aidarous al-Zubaidi told Reuters that Trump's strong leadership and willingness to use military force stood in stark contrast to the Biden administration, which he said had allowed the Houthis to consolidate power, strengthen their military capabilities and further expand their reach. beyond Yemen.
“Trump knows what he wants. He is a strong decision-maker,” said Zubaidi in an interview on the sidelines of the annual meeting of the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos.
“We are fans, followers and supporters of Trump's policy … because he has a personality that has enough decision-making power to rule America and the world,” he said, saying that he expected to start negotiations with the incoming administration soon.
While the Houthis control northwest Yemen, where most of its 23 million people live, the rest is held by the Southern Transitional Council which demand an independent southern Yemen and with the support of the United Arab Emirates.
Zubaidi heads the armed group, which has three seats on the eight-strong Presidential Leadership Council, the Aden-based coalition government against the Houthis.
He said that the unification of Yemen is still elusive, and he called for two states as before in 1990, when South Yemen was separate from North Yemen.
“When we become two countries the conflict will be resolved,” he said, adding that a coordinated international, regional and local strategy was needed to defeat and weaken the Houthis and stop them launched their attacks against Western commercial ships sailing through the Red Sea.
The Houthis targeted more than 100 ships with drones and missile strikes last year in what they said was solidarity with Palestinians in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Before Trump's inauguration on Monday, Houthi leader in Yemen, Abdul Malik al-Houthi, said that they will stop attacks from the Red Sea only on ships bound to Israel after a cease-fire Gaza, but that strikes could start again if the situation changes.
“We hope that America will be encouraged to block the Houthis because they will continue to threaten maritime navigation. They are the biggest threat. The Houthis are part of an international coalition led by with Iran, Russia and China,” Zubaidi said.
The war in Yemen, one of the poorest countries in the Middle East, began in 2014, when Houthi fighters swept into the capital, Sanaa, and took over government institutions.
The United Nations peace process to end the war, which triggered a serious humanitarian crisis, came to a halt after the Israel-Hamas war started in Gaza.
The conflict in Yemen has left the Houthis based in the north of the country, where they have established a minority state which they rule with the support of Tehran.
“This war has cost us a lot. It caused the collapse of the whole economy and a sharp reduction of the currency, a worker earns now $50-$60 (month)… Yemen's reconstruction needs hundreds of billions of dollars,” he said.
