Security chaos in Taiz and legitimacy dilemma

Yemen

Yamanat

The public assassination of Taiz Cleaning Fund director Efthan Al-Mashahri is the clearest evidence yet of the deep-rooted political violence and culture of impunity in areas controlled by the Yemeni government.

This crime is part of a series of assassinations targeting those who threaten the financial interests of influential military leaders who consolidated their positions during the conflict.

These activists violate the law, commit extrajudicial executions and terrorize the population, while official (nominal) authorities provide them with political cover or turn a blind eye.

The fact that this pattern of chaos and anarchy has persisted for over a decade is a direct result of the government’s inability to rein in its armed groups and maintain public order, thereby undermining the government’s legitimacy vis-à-vis Yemenis.

Al-Mashahri, director of the Cleanup and Improvement Fund in Taiz governorate, divided between the Houthis and the government, was driving her car through the city center on September 18 when a gunman fired a barrage of bullets at her car, killing her and a bystander.

The fund was an attractive source of income for powerful members of armed groups, who diverted its resources for personal gain.

When Al-Mashahri took office, she cracked down on corruption and restricted illicit access to the fund’s money. Investigations quickly linked the assassination to a notorious military formation, the 170th Air Defense Brigade.

The killer, who was later killed in a shootout with security forces, released a confession video (released after his assassination) in which he claims to have acted at the instigation of local leaders angry at Al-Mashahri’s actions.

This crime sparked widespread anger in Taiz. Hundreds of people have held regular protests outside local government buildings to demand justice, security sector reform and the arrest of the remaining suspects fleeing justice, but Taiz’s main political forces have used their media to trade accusations of obstructing justice and politicizing the killing.

The Islah party is the main actor on the ground in the city and, although it has not been directly accused of the murder, it clearly bears responsibility for maintaining law and order and combating abuses by rogue elements.

Taiz was the scene of months-long demonstrations, initially organized by women, to protest the collapse of security and deteriorating living conditions under an incapable government.

In fact, protests have erupted in several southern cities in recent months, amid power outages, supply shortages and inflation.

These conditions have exacerbated anger over the assassinations of figures who fought for government reform, such as Al-Mashahri, whose killing could discourage other women from seeking positions of power amid a broader climate of violence against women.

Although this case highlights a specific problem in Taiz, which the Sanaa Center has been warning about since 2018, the city is a microcosm of the political violence seen throughout government-administered areas.

Enforced disappearances and assassinations have become commonplace, with military commanders akin to warlords controlling entire neighborhoods. From 2018 to 2022, the Association of Mothers of Abductees documented 112 cases of enforced disappearances in the government’s temporary capital, Aden.

The problem of anarchy cannot simply be attributed to power struggles between rival political factions within the ruling Presidential Command Council; A complex intertwining of criminal gangs, corrupt officials, warlords and extremist groups fuels this violence. However, political actors do not want to curb these groups, for fear of losing their influence. In fact, they have outsourced security responsibilities to interdict elements that terrorize and blackmail local residents.

Local communities have now reached a breaking point, with protests demonstrating that they view politicians as complicit if they refuse to take legal action.

The Chairman of the Presidential Council, Rashad Al-Alimi, cannot leave the issue as it is. His final thanks to a local police chief are far from enough. Instead, the government and local authorities must investigate and fire military and security leaders who commit violations, or cover them up, not only in Taiz, but in all areas under government control. Steps must also be taken to protect ongoing protests while citizens exercise their right to freedom of expression.

If the government fails to restore law and order, regional and international donors will lose interest in helping Yemen, and chaos will worsen unless decisive action is taken now.

Source: Sanaa Center for Strategic Studies

Yemen