Competing for Control over the State: The Case of Yemen. (4th May 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Clausen, Maria-Louise
• Is Part Of: Small wars & insurgencies. Volume 29:Number 3(2018)
• Page Start: 560
• Page End: 578
• Publication Date: 2018-05-04
• Subjects: Insurgency -- rebel governance -- armed non-state actors -- civil war -- Yemen -- Houthis; Low-intensity conflicts (Military science) -- Periodicals; Insurgency -- Periodicals; 355.021805
• DOI: 10.1080/09592318.2018.1455792
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0959-2318

Abstract

Abstract: This article argues that the current conflict in Yemen is better understood as a competition over who controls the state, rather than as a conflict between the state and a non-state actor. It traces the development of the Houthis and shows how the movement managed to seize key government institutions. However, the Houthis lack internal legitimacy and have not been able to position themselves as a nationally relevant political elite. The fragmentation of the Yemeni state has resulted in a shift to more localized struggles over access to resources and power that involve both internal and external actors.