Yemeni Government offers amnesty to Houthis who abandon group

ADEN, Sept 25: Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council chief Rashad al-Alimi on Friday offered a path to amnesty for members of the Houthi group who abandon the movement and stop fighting or working for it, while calling for nationwide mobilization in support of government forces.

In a speech marking the 64th anniversary of Yemen’s Sept. 26 Revolution, published by the state-run Saba news agency, al-Alimi said the door was open to a “safe return to the ranks of the republic and constitutional legitimacy.”

He said anyone who leaves the Houthis and ceases fighting or working for the group would be covered by a “general amnesty to be issued later in accordance with constitutional and legal procedures.”

Al-Alimi also said authorities would work to regularize the status of army and security personnel who leave the Houthi ranks while preserving employment rights they had legally acquired.

He called on Yemenis to join a “general mobilization and national call to action,” support the armed forces and security services, and enlist through official channels.

The council chief said the government remained committed to restoring state institutions and extending its authority across Yemen, including the capital, Sanaa, stressing that changes along the front lines or the loss of territory would not alter that objective.

Al-Alimi accused the Houthis of triggering the latest escalation inside Yemen and across its borders, citing developments in Taiz, Marib, Al-Jawf, Al Hudaydah, Lahj, Hadramout, Al-Bayda, Shabwa and Al-Dhale as part of an attempt to impose a new reality by force.

He called on allied and friendly countries to support the Yemeni government and armed forces, as well as the Saudi-led coalition, saying the restoration of Yemen’s state institutions was also linked to regional and Red Sea security.

Al-Alimi also reaffirmed the council and government’s commitment to the outcome of Saudi-sponsored dialogue among southern Yemeni groups, which he said should lead to a “just and comprehensive solution to the southern issue.”