Tihama and Yemen’s Fate: How Al-Jaber Sees the Way Ahead |
Yemen, with its regional differences and long-standing local identities, may simply be too complex to govern from a single center that no longer commands trust.
Yemen, with its regional differences and long-standing local identities, may simply be too complex to govern from a single center that no longer commands trust.
Sheikh Dr. Mohammed bin Issa Al-Jaber’s latest statement reads less like a routine political comment and more like a warning from someone watching a state slowly lose its grip on itself.
When he says that “the decision of war and peace is no longer in the hands of the state,” it lands with weight, because it reflects what many Yemenis have felt for years but rarely hear said so plainly.
Power, in his telling, has drifted away from institutions and into the hands of actors who are neither accountable nor representative.
That shift, he suggests, is forcing Yemen into a new and uncomfortable conversation about its future. Ideas that once felt distant—like federalism or even regional self-determination—are no longer theoretical. They are being discussed as real, if difficult, options.
A State Losing Its Center
Al-Jaber does not soften his criticism. He describes a system where decisions are made without “consultation or the consent of the people,” calling it nothing less than a diversion of the country’s fate.
It’s a sharp way of putting it, but it captures the frustration of a population that has watched authority fragment while their daily realities grow harder.
What stands out in his argument is the way he reframes strength. In a region where military power is often equated with legitimacy, he pushes back, saying that “the one who makes peace is the true victor.”
It’s a simple idea, but in Yemen’s current context, it feels almost radical. War, in his view, is not a sign of control—it’s evidence of failure, of a leadership caught in crisis rather than guiding its people forward.
Federalism as a Practical Way Forward
Against this backdrop, Al-Jaber’s call for federalism feels less ideological and more grounded in necessity. When he says that “defining the form of the state has become an urgent necessity,” he is acknowledging that the current structure is no longer holding.
Yemen, with its regional differences and long-standing local identities, may simply be too complex to govern from a single center that no longer commands trust.
His description of the current situation—an internationally recognized government with little real authority, and another power in Sana’a making unilateral decisions—paints a picture of a country stuck between two incomplete systems.
Federalism, in this sense, is not presented as a perfect fix, but as a way to give regions more control over their own affairs while keeping the idea of a unified Yemen alive.
Still, it’s not a simple solution. Federal systems depend on cooperation and functioning institutions, both of which are in short supply. But as Al-Jaber implies, the alternative may be a continued slide into fragmentation.
Tihama and a Breaking Point
It’s when he turns to Tihama that the tone becomes more urgent. By saying the region “has the right to seriously raise the question of self-determination,” Al-Jaber moves beyond reform and into territory that hints at separation.
His reasoning is straightforward: a region with millions of people, deep historical roots, and a strategic position on the Red Sea should not be endlessly drawn into conflicts it did not choose.
His line that “Tihama can no longer be the price paid for irresponsible wars” is likely to resonate far beyond the region itself. It speaks to a broader exhaustion—an impatience with being caught in cycles of conflict driven by forces that feel distant and unaccountable.
At the same time, the idea of independence is complicated. It raises questions about what comes next—economically, politically, and diplomatically. But even raising it changes the conversation. It signals that the status quo is no longer acceptable, and that regions may start looking for their own way out if nothing changes.
A Call That Reaches Beyond Yemen
Al-Jaber also directs his message outward, asking international actors not to mistake the actions of armed groups for the will of the Yemeni people.
His call for elections “under international supervision” reflects a recognition that legitimacy cannot be rebuilt internally without some level of external support.
His demand that the Houthis “stop speaking in the name of the Yemeni people” and issue an apology within 48 hours is as much about drawing a line as it is about seeking accountability. It’s an attempt to shift the narrative—and perhaps to encourage ordinary Yemenis to do the same.
In the end, his statement leaves a lingering sense that Yemen is running out of time to redefine itself. Whether through federalism or something more drastic, the current path doesn’t seem sustainable.
Al-Jaber doesn’t claim to have all the answers, but he does make one thing clear: the country cannot keep moving forward without first confronting how much control it has already lost.