A rift between Yemen’s Houthis and the supporters of former Yemeni president Ali Abdullah Saleh has opened the door for Saudi Arabia to mediate in the conflict, the International Crisis Group (ICG) said Wednesday (October 11th).
In a report, ICG said Saudi Arabia and its allies should move fast to "capitalise on a division that they have encouraged", AFP reported.
It said they should turn the political rift between Saleh and his Houthi allies into a ceasefire and ensure the Houthis cut all ties with Iran.
"The timing is ripe but the opportunity easily could slip away," ICG said.
For decades, Riyadh backed Saleh, who resigned under pressure in 2012, ceding power to his vice-president, current president Abd Rabbu Mansour Hadi.
But in 2014, Saleh aligned himself with the Houthis, against whom he had fought six wars when he was president. The two now jointly control Yemen's northern highlands and Sanaa.
In August, rumoured tensions between Saleh and Houthi chief Abdulmalik al-Houthi exploded in public, with the ex-president slamming his allies as militias and the Houthis openly threatening "backstabbers".
Ties between Saleh and Houthi remain tense.
