Houthis Accused of Blocking 2nd Agreement for Transfer of Goods to N. Yemen

Efforts exerted to grant road access for the passage of goods to northern Yemen have once again stumbled at the intransigence of the Iran-backed Houthi militias.

The Civilian Alliance for Peace and the two chambers of commerce in Aden and Sanaa have been seeking to open the Ibb-Dhale route for the passage of goods from Aden port to provinces in northern Yemen.

The Houthis’ blocking of the road has forced travelers to take a longer route, which would take them over 12 hours to reach their destination.

Business and political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that the legitimate government had agreed to reopen the main highway that connects the Dhale province to Ibb to allow the easy transport of goods.

Authorities are now, however, waiting on the Houthis to sign the agreement.

The militias had previously blocked a similar deal in the past.

The Civilian Alliance for Peace and Aden and Sanaa chambers of commerce had kicked off efforts to reach the agreement some two weeks ago. They had held talks with the government and Houthis to ensure that they both approve of it.

Twelve days have passed since its approval and the Houthis have yet to sign it.

The militias are suspected of stalling in order to use the deal during negotiations with the government over the activation of the Stockholm Agreement on the Hodeidah province.

The Ibb-Dhale agreement calls for the safe passage of trucks and vehicles. Concerned parties would form a committee that would oversee the safe passage and address any emergency or violation.