Deal reached between Yemen's president, Houthi rebels


Yemen's President Abed Rabbo Mansour Hadi and Shiite rebels reached a deal late Wednesday, ending a standoff inside the president's residence that started Tuesday.
Under the agreement, the Houthi rebels will leave Hadi's home and will release a top presidential aide that they kidnapped; in turn, the rebels will have more say in government matters.
The Houthis gained control of the capital city of Sana'a and several state institutions in September. Critics of the deal say that the Houthis will take over power, making Hadi president in name alone. "The Houthis are in effective control," Saudi columnist Jamal Khashoggi told The Associated Press. "Even if Hadi agrees to stay president, he no longer controls Yemen and can't give orders. ... The fear is the country will be dragged toward division and infighting."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Continue reading for free
We hope you're enjoying The Week's refreshingly open-minded journalism.
Subscribed to The Week? Register your account with the same email as your subscription.