Yemen's Houthi brings Sunni Islah to the negotiating table

Rasa - Leaders of Yemen's Islah party have sent a delegation to the northern province of Sa’da to meet with the leader of the Houthis to engage in reconciliation talks aimed at ending years of conflict between the two sides.

News ID: 1715

Date: 30 November 2014 - 17:04

RNA - Over the past decade Islah-backed tribesmen and Houthi fighters have been fighting in the northern parts of the country.

The clashes between the two ended last month after the Ansarullah or Houthi fighters took over the capital Sana’a and were able to dismantle the Islah party's military wing. Something experts believe helped bring the Islah party to the negotiating table.

Now that the reconciliation process has begun between the Islah party and the Houthi movement, many wonder how this will effect former President Ali Abdullah Saleh.

They say the former official is slowly making a comeback to power and is still able to exert influence politically and on the ground.

Houthi fighters have fought several wars with the central government before a ceasefire took hold in 2010. But ever since then, the reinvigorated Shia-Zaidi movement has gained grounds throughout Yemen by fighting against militants loyal to al-Qaeda and the Salafaist party al- Islah.

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