The chair of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council issued a call for national mobilization and military recruitment on Friday, urging citizens to join government-backed armed forces through official channels. The statement came as the internationally recognized government faces setbacks in its ongoing conflict with the Houthi movement, which recently expanded its territorial control along the western Red Sea coast.
Rashad al-Alimi announced an immediate amnesty program targeting Houthi fighters willing to defect to government forces. According to his remarks, those who leave the group and join state military units would receive pardons, contingent on adherence to constitutional and legal procedures. The offer represents an effort to weaken Houthi ranks amid their military advances toward strategic waterways.
Al-Alimi emphasized the government’s core objective of restoring state control over the capital, Sanaa, which has been held by the Houthis since 2014. He framed the conflict within Yemen’s broader political history, noting that his speech coincided with the anniversary of a 1962 military coup that triggered the nation’s civil conflict. The leadership council chair stressed the importance of reasserting government sovereignty across the entire country.
The recruitment drive and amnesty announcement align with international support for the Saudi-backed government. On the same day, military chiefs of staff from Saudi Arabia, Turkiye, and Pakistan held their inaugural meeting regarding their trilateral defence agreement known as the Mecca Pact. Additionally, Saudi-led coalition forces reported intercepting Houthi weapons systems, including one ballistic missile bound for Khamis Mushait and two drones targeted at Riyadh, continuing the pattern of cross-border attacks that have characterized the conflict.
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