Alarm bells ring loud in Yemen

As the situation spirals out of control, local leaders must take a step back from the brink

Yemenis inspect the scene of a car bomb targeting a group of female mourners loyal to the Houthis in Sanaa. Yahya Arhab / EPA

It has been a week of bloodshed and chaos in Yemen. ISIL carried out a car bombing in Sanaa that killed at least 28 people, including eight women, while there are reports that more than 1,000 prisoners, including Al Qaeda suspects, have escaped from a prison in the city of Taez. This is the third such jail break since the outbreak of the crisis. The prospect of thousands more extremist fighters on Yemeni streets doesn’t bode well for a peaceful horizon anytime soon.

Put simply, the situation on the ground is spiralling out of control. While we can’t ignore this reality, a limited opportunity remains for leaders of the various fighting factions to take a step back from the brink and reach a solution that will save their country from complete destruction.

All these leaders need to do is look to Syria for a dire example of what the future could hold for Yemen if the crisis continues at its current pace. For the region and the world, this conflict was never confined to Yemen. Therefore, the consequences of inaction extend beyond Yemen’s borders. The world has watched ISIL take advantage of the chaos and now the extremists are firmly on the road to supplanting Al Qaeda in the country.

Appeals to cease the fighting during the holy month of Ramadan have gone unanswered. Recent peace talks in Geneva failed to reach an equitable ceasefire and the Saudi-led air campaign aimed at Iran-backed Houthi rebels has not been able to shake their hold on several areas throughout the country. While outside intervention attempts should and must continue, the factions themselves remain in control, at least for the time being.

Perhaps it is time to consider a discussion on transforming Yemen into a federal system as president Abdrabu Mansur Hadi approved last year. Judging the exact complexion of any division is difficult, but reasonable suggestions to split the country into separate provinces could help establish a viable framework out of the crisis. Ultimately, leaders of Yemen’s different factions have to decide whether to put their sectarian differences aside, or head down the road marked “Syria”. Time is fast running out.